This round is likely to be a combination of equity, debt and non-dilutive capital like project finance -- and it is not the first 9-figure deal in indoor ag, just the first made public this way. Indoor ag is growing quickly and investor appetites are up.

I am co-founder of a venture-backed indoor ag company. Here is a good summary of the "on the ground" view authored from the woman who runs Indoor Ag Con where Plenty presented a couple months ago: https://agfundernews.com/will-2017-bring-indoor-ag.html

The calorie problem is true. You can't feed the world on leafy greens. Many startups are trying to combine aquaponics to provide protein with leafy greens. Those startups are not as far along as Plenty.

Cannabis is great but the cost and price are both on an almost inevitable path to commodification. It's high-value now but it will not always be high value.

Insects may be the greatest area for advancement in indoor ag. Insects can be used for protein, vitamins and nutrients and calories from fat concentrations.

The real advantage is something analogous to alternative energy's advantages: distributed infrastructure with lower risk and lower volatility.