Good morning growers,

This week brings a wide range of developments across AgTech, plant science, CEA, and climate-driven innovation. Companies such as Syngenta, DJI Agriculture, Origin Agritech, IBI Ag, Bindwell, and GoodLeaf Farms are advancing new platforms, patented technologies, funding rounds, and international expansions — signaling strong momentum as digital tools, automation systems, and biological solutions continue to mature.

We’re also highlighting major greenhouse automation milestones, gene-editing partnerships, AI-powered pesticide discovery breakthroughs, and new investments in hydroponics and electrification systems. From fresh funding rounds to large-scale deployments and global technology showcases ahead of Agritechnica 2025, the sector remains dynamic across its full value chain.

And, a warm welcome to our new iGrow Network members. We’re glad to have you on board and look forward to keeping you updated on the latest innovations, opportunities, and trends in AgTech. Not a member yet? Register now to join the network!

Estimated Reading Time: 8 - 10 minutes

OUR LATEST AGTECH INTELLIGENCE DASHBOARD SNAPSHOT

Is the CEA Industry Truly Rebounding in 2025—or Is the Data Telling a Different Story?

A review of our 2025 dataset shows a selective, uneven recovery across the CEA ecosystem. Funding momentum has indeed returned, but it is heavily concentrated in greenhouse infrastructure and enabling technologies such as automation, AI-driven crop optimisation, robotics, substrates, and advanced lighting. Companies including SAIA Agrobotics, Source.ag, Voltiris, AISPRID, and 4AG Robotics raised new rounds, yet in many cases these raises were smaller than their previous financings, signalling that investor appetite is improving but remains conservative. Large project investments (e.g., Harvest Singularity’s US$66M greenhouse) exist, but they are exceptions rather than indicators of broad market acceleration.

Despite renewed activity, the database continues to show frequent bankruptcies and restructurings across vertical farming and CEA-linked operators — including exits in North America, Europe, and Asia. Several deals recorded as M&A were distressed transactions involving companies selling assets at heavy discounts. The pattern suggests that while certain operators with strong economics are moving forward, weaker models are still being filtered out of the market. This points to a reallocation of capital, not a uniform rebound.

Investor participation reinforces this selectivity. Farm Credit Canada stands out as one of the most active investors of the year (three deals), followed by repeat participation from Cibus Capital. A wide range of single-ticket investors — including Power Sustainable Lios, McCain Foods, S2G Investments, Astanor Ventures, Raiven Capital, AgFunder, Grosvenor Food & AgTech, Ingka Investments, and several regional VCs — contributed to activity, but the distribution of deals suggests targeted bets rather than broad enthusiasm.

A notable 2025 trend is the sharp rise in product integrations and strategic partnerships across the industry. The dataset shows a high frequency of Product Integration, MoU, Strategic Partnership, Joint Venture, Project, Education, Manufacturing Partnership, and Distribution Agreement announcements. These collaborations often pair technology providers with growers, integrate digital tools with climate or irrigation systems, or formalise cross-border cooperation. This signals a shift toward interoperability, ecosystem building, and shared risk, as companies strengthen value propositions not by expanding alone but by embedding themselves into broader systems used by growers and supply-chain partners.

Taken together, 2025 reflects a disciplined rebuilding phase: capital is flowing again, partnership activity is surging, and technology integration is accelerating — yet funding sizes remain smaller, and operator failures persist. The “comeback” is real, but it is selective, efficiency-driven, and heavily shaped by collaboration rather than standalone growth.

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AGTECH
New Initiative, Products and Partnership for AgTech

Syngenta Launches Cropwise Open Platform to Expand Digital Agriculture Access – Syngenta has launched the Cropwise Open Platform, providing global third-party developers access to its AI-powered digital ecosystem across more than 70 million hectares in over 30 countries.

Doktar Partners with Trapview to Enhance Automated Pest Monitoring – Netherlands-based Doktar has partnered with Trapview to integrate automated pest monitoring and forecasting into its digital platform. The collaboration offers real-time pest insights to improve farm management efficiency and supports climate-smart agriculture by reducing pesticide use and promoting biodiversity.

DJI Agriculture Introduces Three New Drones Ahead of Agritechnica 2025 – DJI Agriculture has launched the Agras T100, T70P, and T25P drones in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa amid a 90% global rise in agricultural drone use since 2020. The models target large, medium, and small-scale farms, and will be showcased at Agritechnica 2025 in Hannover alongside expanded operator training programs.

CLAAS Launches JAGUAR 1000 Series Forage Harvester with Record Output – CLAAS introduced the JAGUAR 1000 series forage harvester featuring AI-driven crop quality analysis and improved efficiency. The flagship JAGUAR 1200 model set a Guinness World Record by harvesting 4,515 tons of wheatlage in 12 hours while reducing fuel use by up to 12% compared to previous models.

PLANT SCIENCE
New Initiatives & Funding for Plant Science

Origin Agritech Signs Gene Editing License Agreement with Shunfeng Biotechnology – Origin Agritech Ltd. has entered a patent license agreement with Shandong Shunfeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for the Cas-SF01 gene editing platform to advance corn breeding and hybrid development. The collaboration builds on prior work with China Agricultural University and targets regulatory genes affecting corn leaf angle to improve yield potential and planting density.

IBI Ag Raises $10 Million Series A Led by Corteva Catalyst – IBI Ag has closed a $10 million Series A round led by Corteva Inc. through its Corteva Catalyst platform, with participation from The Trendlines Group, Bandera Capital, and First Imagine Ventures. The funding supports development and commercialization of antibody-based bioinsecticides designed for sustainable pest control and reduced impact on beneficial insects.

Bindwell Secures $6 Million Seed Round to Accelerate AI-Driven Pesticide Discovery – Agri-tech startup Bindwell has raised $6 million in seed funding co-led by General Catalyst and A Capital, with participation from SV Angel and Paul Graham. The company uses AI models to speed pesticide discovery, operating four times faster than AlphaFold, with funds directed toward R&D expansion and proprietary product development in California.

NitroScope Project Launches to Advance Nitrogen Monitoring Across Europe – The NitroScope project has been launched at Ghent University with 25 partners from 15 countries to improve nitrogen tracking and management. The initiative will deploy advanced sensing technologies at more than 100 sites, build a European nitrogen database, and deliver policy recommendations aligned with EU environmental goals.

Genvor Awarded U.S. Patent for Antifungal Transgenic Corn Technology – Genvor, in partnership with the USDA, has received U.S. Patent No. 12,458,684 for “Transgenic Corn with Antifungal Peptide AGM182.” The patented technology reduces aflatoxin contamination caused by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium species by up to 98% and was developed using Genvor’s BioCypher™ Algorithm to provide a sustainable alternative to chemical fungicides.

INTERVIEW
Gary Schaefer on CropVoice™: When Soybeans Start Talking to Farmers

• Gary Schaefer, Chief Commercial Officer at InnerPlant, explains how CropVoice™ and InnerSoy™ sensors detect fungal infections in real time through plant-generated optical signals.

• The system’s multi-layer validation process—combining field imaging, lab data, and weather analytics—ensures reliability before farmers receive alerts.

• InnerPlant is scaling rapidly, expanding from 50,000 acres in 2025 to more than 500,000 in 2026 through partnerships with CropLife 100 retailers.

• CropVoice enables precision fungicide application, improving ROI and reducing unnecessary input costs.

• Schaefer envisions a future where plants communicate stress directly, ushering in a proactive, data-driven approach to crop management.

Discover more here.

CEA
New Funding and Innovations

Agroz Inc. Expands AI-Driven Vertical Farming into GCC and Southeast Asia – Agroz Inc. will expand its AI-powered Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) operations into the Gulf Cooperation Council and Southeast Asia, following increased interest from Oman and the UAE. The move aims to enhance food security through sustainable, high-efficiency farming supported by the company’s Agroz OS and Copilot systems.

GoodLeaf Farms secured $52 million in equity financing to expand capacity at its Alberta and Quebec farms and develop a new R&D centre in Ontario. The company reported surging national demand for its baby greens and microgreens, nearly doubling by April 2025. Investors include Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Power Sustainable Lios, and McCain Foods, reflecting confidence in vertically grown Canadian produce.

Harvest Singularity to Invest $66 Million in Florida Hydroponic Facility – Harvest Singularity Holding Co. will invest $66 million to build a 325,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse at Newberry’s F-300 AgFoodTech Innovation Park. The facility will produce over three tons of leafy greens daily and create more than 50 jobs, advancing Florida’s technology-driven agriculture sector.

SAIA Agrobotics Raises €10 Million to Advance Greenhouse Automation – Netherlands-based SAIA Agrobotics secured €10 million in new funding, bringing total investment to €20 million. The capital will support the 2026 launch of its “plants-to-robot” automation system designed to boost yields and cut greenhouse labor by up to 50%.

OTHER NEWS
Other Updates: New Funding Round, New Initiative & More!

The Gates Foundation announced a $1.4 billion, four-year commitment to advance climate adaptation and help smallholder farmers build resilience to extreme weather. The announcement, made during COP30 in Belém, Brazil, highlights the need for locally driven adaptation solutions as climate threats intensify across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Emirates Rawabi PSC and ReFarm Global Investments LLC have entered a strategic partnership to develop regenerative, circular, and resource-efficient solutions for food production and urban landscaping in the UAE. The collaboration aims to reduce water use, enhance soil health, and strengthen national food security while contributing to the UAE’s sustainability and climate goals.

Cropcision has closed a seed funding round backed by Northern Light Capital (NLC) and Partnerinvest Norr, enabling the company to expand production and hire key personnel. The funding supports Cropcision’s mission to develop plastic-free, controlled-release fertilizers, aligning with upcoming EU regulations banning non-biodegradable polymers in fertilizers by 2028.

Qorium has raised €22 million in Series A funding from Invest-NL and LIOF, alongside existing backers Brightlands Venture Partners and Sofinnova Partners. The investment, supported by the European Commission’s InvestEU guarantee scheme, will help the company scale its cultivated leather production and install new bioreactor systems in Maastricht. The company’s biotechnology creates real leather from a few animal cells, eliminating the need for livestock farming while reducing waste and environmental impact.

Casterra Ag Ltd. and Fantini Italia S.R.L. have announced a strategic collaboration to develop large-scale, mechanized castor cultivation systems. The partnership combines Casterra’s proprietary high-yield castor seed varieties with Fantini’s advanced harvesting and threshing technologies. The goal is to support the rising global demand for castor oil, projected to grow from USD 2.4 billion to USD 3.09 billion by 2030.

Upcoming AgTech Events

Myplant & Garden Middle East | November 15-17, 2025 | Dubai

World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit Dubai | December 8 - 9, 2025

Agri Expo International Exhibition & Conference for Agriculture Supplies

Indoor Ag-Con | February 11-12, 2026 | Las Vegas, USA

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