In today’s episode, Greg Dunaway sits down with none other than David Cohen—a name that’ll ring a bell for anyone in the cannabis or CEA space. David’s got three decades of experience scaling tech companies around the world. Still, you probably know him best as the guy who turned Fluence Bioengineering from a $15 million company into a $200 million industry giant, ultimately overseeing its massive $272 million sale.
Greg and David cover a ton of ground in this conversation. They get into what it was like for David to step into Fluence right as the “green rush” was taking off, and what it really takes to handle hypergrowth without spinning out of control. There’s some real talk about what makes a business survive in today’s competitive world—spoiler: it’s not just flashy tech, but ruthless efficiency, cost control, and building a brand that matters.
They also dive into where the legal cultivation and CEA industries are at now compared to those gold rush days, what the future could look like (Germany and the global scene included!), and the tech trends that actually make a difference on the ground.
00:00 "Fluence Opportunity and Acquisition Journey"
03:55 Lighting Industry Rivalry & Acquisition
07:31 "Fluence: Leading Scaled Production"
11:08 CEA Market Insights
14:11 Strategic Scaling in Niche Markets
19:06 Aligning Tech with Customer Needs
21:00 Bridging Tech and Farming Needs
25:01 Europe's Evolving Patient-Driven Market
26:52 Market Growth in Germany
32:14 Podcast Insight: Scaling Indoor and Greenhouse Growing
33:52 Vision and Challenges in CEA Expansion
36:26 "Ruthless Efficiency in Cultivation"
39:50 Industry Consolidation and Efficiency
44:58 Passionate About Global Food Security
46:32 "Appreciation for David's Insights"
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