Verdant Robotics has raised $46.5 million in funding to scale its robotics and to accelerate wide use of its regenerative and precision ag technology. 

Verdant’s primary product, “Robotics-As-A-Service” (RaaS), is currently being used on a wide variety of specialty crops across thousands of acres, with orders pending for tens of thousands more, according to a press release from Verdant. The technology is an autonomous platform that can weed, fertilize, and treat plants for pests and diseases, all while collecting data for farmers to make decisions in real time. 

Securing this investment will help to scale its fleet, and further develop the next generation of RaaS as a technology. Lead investor Cleveland Avenue was joined by DCVC Bio, Future Ventures, SeaX Ventures, and all existing investors, including Autotech Ventures, Cavallo Ventures, and AgFunder.

“Increasingly, consumers are demanding food that meets the trifecta of good for me, for my community, and for the planet,” says Don Thompson, founder and CEO of Cleveland Avenue, LLC. “Verdant offers next-level precision that growers — and our global food supply — need to meet these demands, not only in the next 20 years, but in the next five.”

VERDANT ROBOTICS’ MISSION

Verdant has been working alongside farmers to solve labor shortage issues, and developing robotic solutions to give them more access to regenerative and precision practices to support soil health, water conservation, carbon sequestration, and nutrient-dense crops.

The company’s technology uses a mix of automation, deep-learning, and machine vision with sub-millimeter accuracy.

“Verdant’s ultra-precision spraying platform is here today — adding new value while doing more with less,” says Gabe Sibley, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Verdant Robotics. “Thanks to the ongoing support from our investors, growers can thrive as we deploy this transformative technology together. At Verdant, we believe that an outsized opportunity requires an oversized effort that only robotics can deliver for agriculture.”

According to Business Wire, the global agricultural autonomous robotics market was valued at $3.92 billion in 2021, and is projected to grow to $10.50 billion in 2027, driven by increasing demand for food, need for precision, and smart agricultural practices. 

“Autonomous vehicles and dancing robots may get headlines, but there really is no more impactful area for robotics, automation, and machine learning to be applied than agriculture,” says Sibley. “Growing abundant foods in sustainable ways is our generation’s biggest challenge and the founding principle behind Verdant Robotics.” 

For more information about Verdant Robotics, visit www.VerdantRobotics.com. 

Source: agriculture.com/technology/robotics/turning-to-autonomy