Beneath an office tower in Sydney’s Barangaroo, Urban Green founder Noah Verin and his team are changing the way microgreens are grown. The business has transformed 120 square metres of vacant basement, with no access to sunlight or rainwater, into a sealed-off vertical farm.

“I’m growing about 45 types of microgreens,” says Verin - including the lemon balm, marigold leaf and red-veined sorrel used in top Sydney restaurants like Bentley and Woodcut.

Verin started the venture in 2016 after seeing the poor-quality microgreens being delivered to restaurants and in 2020, moved Urban Green into its current headquarters. He now employs five staff and has plans to spread its roots over more of the 1000-square-metre basement.

“Our intention to grow relies on the American Express^® Qantas Business Rewards Card to manage our cash flow,” says Verin. “By the time we sell a product, we’ve already bought the soil and seeds roughly six-to-eight weeks prior, so having up to 51 days to pay for purchases¹ on the Card helps us manage the pipeline of production.”

Verin notes that Urban Green needs a Business Card that not only has scope for growth but also gives the business a return by earning up to 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday business expenses and 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on Qantas products and services².

The Qantas Points will help Verin travel to Japan for research. “There are amazing vertical farms there that I’m really keen to see and, hopefully, I’ll get a few innovative ideas for how I can keep growing my underground farm and business.”

The key to making your finances work for you'

“When we want to scale up production, it’s great to have visibility of our spending capacity through the Card’s dynamic line of unsecured funding³. When I was looking for a Business Card, I wanted something that had flexibility in order to pay for fans, UV lighting and biodegradable packaging. Having up to 51 days to pay¹ on the Card allows you to manage larger purchases, as the business grows, effectively,” says Verin.

Grow your purchasing power³ and enjoy uncapped Qantas Points earning potential² with the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card.

Explore the latest offers at americanexpress.com/australia/acuity

_{American Express approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. Fees and charges apply. All information is correct as at 1 June 2024 and is subject to change. This offer is only available to those who reside in Australia. Cards are offered, issued and administered by American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085). ®Registered Trademark of American Express Company.}

_{1. Up to 51 days cash flow: Extend your cash flow by up to 51 days: depending on your method of payment, when you make a purchase, when your statement is issued and whether or not you are carrying forward a balance on your account from your previous statement period. If you pay by direct debit, your payment will be processed 10 days after your statement is issued.}

_{2. Qantas Points: A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for the business. Membership and the earning of Qantas Points as a business are subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions at www.qantas.com/au/en/business-rewards/terms-and-conditions.html. Points are earned in accordance with and subject to the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card Points Terms and Conditions at https://go.amex/qbr-card-points. Your business will earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 of everyday spend, which does not include annual fees, late payment fee, and fees and charges for foreign currencies. Your business will earn 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent at participating merchants classified as “utilities” including gas, water and electricity providers; “government” including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation, federal, state and local government bodies; and “insurance” excluding insurances offered by American Express. Industry-specific earn rate may apply when you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant. For example, a payment made to Local Government bodies processed through a payment aggregator may earn rates at the government earn rate. Your business will earn 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on the following Qantas Products and Services purchased on the Qantas merchant account (i.e. directly from Qantas): Qantas passenger flights (with a QF flight number), Qantas Holidays, Qantas-branded non-airfare products, and Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club membership joining and annual fees. Excludes Jetstar. For the full list of exclusions, please refer to the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card Points Terms and Conditions at https://go.amex/qbr-card-points. From 10 January 2024, once you have earned a total of 500,000 Qantas Points on your Card Account in a calendar year, your earn rate of 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent will change to 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday business purchases. All other earn rates (Qantas products, services and government, utilities and insurances spend) will remain unchanged. For Card Members who applied for the Card between 1 July 2023 – 9 January 2024, this change will come into effect from 10 July 2024. The points threshold is based on eligible Qantas Points earned during a calendar year and will be reset on 1 January each year. Qantas Points earned by all Card Members on a Card Account contribute to the 500,000 points threshold each calendar year. Bonus points earned from Acquisition bonus offers and marketing campaigns are excluded from the threshold}

_{3. No pre-set spending limit does not mean unlimited spending. Your purchases are approved based on a variety of factors, including current spending patterns, your payment history, credit records and financial information known to us.}