Making a splash in hydroponic farming
By : Denise Yung
With people looking for healthier organic food worldwide, alumnus Billy Lam has seized the opportunity to start something unusual. He partnered with his friend Gordon Tam in setting up Farm66 Investment Ltd, commencing a bold journey into vertical hydroponic farming.
A 2008 chemistry graduate, Billy started his first job as a management trainee at a food chain company. This experience gave him a solid foundation for his farm business beginning in 2013.
“Vertical hydroponic farming was not widespread when I started my business. I took reference from Japan, the US, Europe and Taiwan, and Dr Alex Wong Chun-yuen, my supervisor in the Department of Chemistry, who gave me lots of advice and encouragement,” recalls Billy, who has transitioned into a “modern” farmer.
Right time, right idea
As Farm66’s Founder and COO, Billy describes his farm adventure as “starting the right thing at the right time”. From 2013 onwards, issues related to revitalising industrial buildings, the global food crisis, and climate change have become hot topics. Techniques such as vertical hydroponic farming, i.e. when plants grown in vertical farms are fed using nutrient-infused water, are now considered sustainable and environmentally friendly business models.
Farm66 has won numerous awards, such as the Grand Award in the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund’s Jumpstarter 2017 competition, which was worth US$ 1 million, plus recognition from the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the Hong Kong Awards for Industries and the Hong Kong ICT Awards, to name a few.
In addition, Farm66 was awarded angel funding worth HK$ 1 million through CityU’s HK Tech 300 programme in 2021, yet more encouragement for Billy to plough ahead with his “farm”.
But Billy has to work incredibly hard. “Every day, I feel like a chemistry student who has to do different experiments 24 hours a day. But I never give up,” says Billy, who relates strongly to CityU’s spirit of never yielding to failure and never being afraid of the unknown.
Billy has witnessed tremendous developments at CityU over the past decade. For example, new undergraduate programmes like the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine keep pace with worldwide trends. In addition, students get to broaden their global vision by going on overseas exchange programmes.
Last but not least, CityU’s incubation programmes, mentorship and funding subsidies help to nurture start-ups and inventors. “It is so good that alumni like me benefit from these initiatives,” Billy says.
Moving forward
Farm66 can currently produce about 40 to 50 species of hydroponic plants. According to Billy, the research and development team is now experimenting with different ways to cultivate Chinese medicine and some special ingredients used in cosmetics.
Given the expensive rental costs in Hong Kong, Billy plans to move the production line for Farm66 to the Greater Bay Area, while Hong Kong will remain the base for research and development.
Farm66 started out in a 1,300-square-foot space in an industrial building in Kwun Tong and is now housed in a 10,000-square-foot factory unit at the Hong Kong Science Park’s industrial estate in Tai Po. To Billy, this “farm” journey has never been easy or smooth. A bumpy road is always tough, and Billy loves challenges!