We Raised Our Seed Round!

Seed Funding, Partnerships, and Acquisitions Featuring Inari, Lindsay, Syngenta, ADAMA, John Deere & More!

Author

Sepehr Achard
January 10, 2025

Welcome to This Week’s AgTech Digest! 🌱

We’re thrilled to share big news—AgTech Media Group has completed its seed funding round, led by Harvest Returns! This milestone marks an exciting step forward for us and the AgTech community.

In this issue, catch the latest on funding rounds, partnerships, acquisitions, and industry updates driving innovation in agriculture.

Let’s dive in! 🚜

This Week’s Highlights Include:

Estimated Reading Time: 6 - 7 minutes

You can also listen to the full episode here.

Exciting News: AgTech Media Group Secures Seed Funding!

We’re thrilled to announce that we completed our seed funding round, led by Harvest Returns! This milestone follows our formation in December 2023 through the merger of iGrow News and the Vertical Farming Podcast.

Here’s what this means for us and you:

  • What’s the funding for?

    • Revamping our website for a better user experience

    • Enhancing the AgTech Companies online directory

    • Expanding our podcast network

    • Growing our newsletters and social media presence

  • Why it matters: This investment allows us to better connect AgTech innovators, investors, and industry stakeholders while growing our reach and impact.

FUNDING
Recent Funding Rounds: Inari and Fermata

  • Raised: $144M - Bringing total equity raised to $720M

  • Investors: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Hanwha Impact and Flagship Pioneering, among others.

  • Focus: Funds will fuel continued innovation in soybeans, corn, and wheat seed technologies.

  • Goal: The investment will accelerate the commercialization of the company’s first-generation products and enhance its ability to deliver multiplex gene editing solutions at scale.

  • Raised: $10M (Series A).

  • Lead Investor: Raw Ventures.

  • Focus: The investment will support the development of a centralized digital platform for autonomous crop management.

  • Goal: The company aims to expand its AI-driven crop health monitoring to enhance yield prediction and disease prevention.

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PARTNERSHIPS
Key Partnerships Driving Innovation

  • Who? Syngenta collaborates with AI company TraitSeq

  • Purpose: To improve biostimulant development.

  • What will they do? TraitSeq’s AI platform will analyze Syngenta’s biological data to optimize biostimulant efficacy.

  • Objective: Aims to identify biomarkers that enhance plant health and resilience.

  • Who? Ecoation has formed a strategic partnership with Mucci Farms

  • Purpose: To increase productivity, reduce chemical use, and further sustainable agriculture efforts.

  • What will they do? Deploy Ecoation’s IPM and yield forecasting platform across all Mucci facilities.

  • Objective: Aims to enhance crop health monitoring, pest management, and yield prediction through advanced digital tools and machine learning.

  • Who? Groundwork BioAg and ADAMA Ltd. announced an exclusive commercial agreement.

  • Purpose: To offer Rootella® mycorrhizal inoculants to Chinese farmers.

  • What will they do? ADAMA will begin offering Rootella to its farmer customers in the 2025 planting season.

  • Objective: Help improve crop yields, soil health, and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers across China’s 127 million hectares of cropland.

ACQUISITIONS
Recent AgTech Acquisitions: Lindsay & Pessl, ISAGRI & Sencrop

  • Who: Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN) completed the acquisition of a 49.9% minority stake in Austria-based Pessl Instruments.

  • Purpose: Strengthens Lindsay’s position as a leader in irrigation management and AgTech innovation.

  • Details: The investment builds upon a strategic partnership established in May 2023, Lindsay retains the option to acquire the remainder of Pessl at a later date.

  • Objective: This partnership aligns with Lindsay’s broader strategy to develop AI-driven Smart Pivot Solutions and expand its suite of precision agriculture tools.

  • Who: ISAGRI has acquired Sencrop

  • Purpose: Will expand the network of weather stations and enhance precision agriculture services for farmers and agri-business partners.

  • Objective: Aims to provide data-driven insights and tools to optimize farming operations and address climate change challenges.

OTHER NEWS
🌱 Agricultural Innovation – Funding and Product Expansion

  • John Deere introduced new autonomous machines at CES 2025 to support agriculture, construction, and commercial landscaping sectors. The second-generation autonomy kit integrates AI, computer vision, and advanced cameras to improve machine navigation and efficiency.

  • BCG’s latest report highlights that US farm owners remain cautious about adopting new agricultural technologies, citing economic uncertainty and previous negative experiences. A survey conducted by BCG and Ag Access of 1,000 growers shows most prefer sticking with familiar solutions rather than exploring new technologies in 2024.

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