Yield Watch

This week’s AgTech updates feature developments from 80 Acres Farms, CarbonZero.Eco, BASF, CIBO Technologies, Netafim, Pyka, Corteva, AGCO, Windfall Bio, Carbon Robotics & More!

Author

Sepehr Achard
February 14, 2025

Welcome to this edition of AgTech Digest, where we bring you the latest updates on funding, partnerships, innovations, and industry trends.

From investment shifts to cutting-edge technologies and policy changes, this week's coverage highlights key developments shaping the future of agriculture.

📩 Stay informed. Stay ahead. Read on for the latest insights.

This Week’s Highlights Include:

Estimated Reading Time: 7 - 8 minutes

You can also listen to the full episode here.

Special thanks to Grow-tec for becoming the latest Scale-Up Company on our directory! 🎉

Grow-Tec offers high-yield, cost-effective indoor vertical farming solutions for fruity vegetable cultivation, addressing challenges like import dependency, climate volatility, and resource constraints. With expertise in greenhouse technologies, they have developed the world's only fully indoor, economically viable solution for tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

Read more about all the great things Grow-tec is working on here.
 
And if you haven’t done so already, make sure you claim your company listing today.

FUNDING & INVESTMENTS
This Week in AgTech Funding: Vertical Farming, Crop Protection, Biochar & More!

80 Acres Farms - $115M Capital Raise

  • Purpose: Expand technology platform, strengthen retail presence, develop ingredients channel.

  • Investors: General Atlantic, Siemens Financial Services, Western & Southern Life Insurance, Barclays Climate Ventures, Virgin Investment Group, Blue Earth Capital.

  • Strategic Moves:

    • Acquired Plantae Biosciences (Israeli biotech firm) to enhance crop genetics for CEA.

    • Recent acquisitions include Mother Raw and launch of a vertical farming Field Lab in The Hague.

IBI Ag - $6.1M Series A (Led by Corteva)

  • Technology: Single-domain antibody-based bio-insecticides for targeted pest control.

  • Target Crops: Initially high-value crops, with expansion plans for row crops.

  • Strategic Fit: Aligns with Corteva’s focus on next-gen biological and naturally inspired solutions.

CarbonZero.Eco - $3.5M Seed Round

  • Investors: Google, Meta, Amazon, and late-stage startup CEOs.

  • Project Scope:

    • Partnering with 300+ California almond farms to sequester 1.5M tons of CO2 via Biochar.

    • $7M in signed agreements for Biochar adoption.

    • First Biochar production site opens April 2025 (Colusa County, CA).

    • Certified by Puro.earth as a CO2 Removal Certificate supplier, with carbon credit generation starting Summer 2025.

  • Long-Term Vision: Expand Biochar adoption across 525M acres of U.S. farmland.

Proba - €1M Funding (Led by Future Food Fund & Yield Lab Europe)

  • Focus: Carbon finance for the agri-food sector via verified insetting.

  • Impact:

    • Turns sustainability efforts into financial value for supply chains.

    • Addresses 5% of global GHG emissions from nitrogen fertilizers.

  • Plan: Work directly with supply chain partners to quantify, verify, and finance emission reductions.

Edacious - $8.1M Series Seed Round

  • Lead Investor: Patagonia's Tin Shed Ventures, with support from Nest Family Office, Trailhead Capital, and others.

  • Objective: Scale operations, enhance proprietary tools, and expand food system collaborations.

  • Innovation:

    • Nutrient transparency tool showing 10x variability in nutrition among similar food groups.

    • Challenges the assumption that all foods of the same type provide identical nutrition.

THIS WEEK’S EDITORIAL
AI in Greenhouse Climate Control

How is AI Transforming Greenhouse Management?

  • Optimizing Climate Control: AI enhances temperature and humidity balance with minimal manual intervention.

  • Predictive & Dynamic Adjustments: Systems like Hoogendoorn’s IIVO use AI-driven Intelligent Algorithms for stable growing conditions.

What is the Role of Digital Twin Technology?

  • Scenario Simulation: Growers can test climate strategies before implementing changes.

  • Forecasting Without Historical Data: AI predicts lighting and temperature profiles, allowing pre-implementation adjustments.

How Does AI Improve Resource Efficiency?

  • Energy Optimization: AI refines ventilation, heating, and CO₂ utilization.

  • Better Water & Nutrient Management: AI-driven systems adjust resource use for maximum efficiency.

  • Operational Gains: Extends equipment longevity, ensures product quality consistency, and improves workflow.

How Does AI Protect Crops from Diseases & Pests?

  • Integrated Crop Condensation Model: Prevents condensation, reducing disease risk.

  • Letsgrow.com Integration: Provides dynamic pest & disease monitoring with real-time action logging.

What AI-Driven Solutions Enhance Sustainability?

  • Target Line Panel & Dynamic Adjustments: Fine-tunes greenhouse conditions.

  • Optimized Ventilation & Heating: Improves airflow and reduces energy waste.

  • Efficient CO₂ Utilization & Intelligent Lighting: Ensures sustainability while maximizing yields.

THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW
CIBO Technologies on Scaling Regenerative Agriculture 

What is CIBO Technologies' Mission?

  • Founded by Flagship Pioneering, CIBO aims to scale regenerative agriculture using simulation, modeling, and remote sensing.

  • Provides scalable sustainability solutions for corporations and governments without relying on extensive local data.

How Does CIBO Simplify Access to Sustainability Programs?

  • Works through trusted advisors to pre-qualify farmers based on field boundaries and modeled practices.

  • Helps corporations incentivize regenerative agriculture adoption while reducing complexity for farmers.

What Challenges in Agriculture is CIBO Addressing?

  • Financial Pressures on Farmers: Provides economic incentives for sustainability adoption.

  • Slow Corporate Progress on Climate Goals: Integrates government funding with corporate sustainability initiatives to reduce costs.

What Technologies Could Advance Regenerative Agriculture?

  • Biologicals: Enhance soil health and nitrogen-use efficiency.

  • Automated Data Integration: Captures insights directly from farm equipment for better decision-making.

What is CIBO’s Long-Term Vision?

  • Expand impact to 100M+ acres of farmland globally.

  • Build the leading regenerative agriculture platform, balancing scalability and profitability.

  • Support a resilient food system, reduce emissions, and reverse soil degradation for food security.

THIS WEEK’S PARTNERSHIPS
New Partnership Announcements: Seed Research, Robotics & More!

Gates Agricultural Innovations & Corteva: Advancing Seed Technologies

  • Focus: Biotechnology and gene-editing to boost crop productivity and climate resilience.

  • Target Regions: Sub-Saharan Africa & South Asia, where smallholder farmers face climate risks despite minimal contributions to climate change.

  • Key Innovation: Nutrient symbiosis technologies to help crops utilize natural nutrients, reduce synthetic fertilizer dependency, and enhance yields.

Topcon Agriculture & Bonsai Robotics: Enhancing Agricultural Automation

  • Goal: Improve automation in permanent crops by integrating:

    • Bonsai Robotics' vision-based autonomy & navigation systems.

    • Topcon’s autosteering, precision sensors, telematics, and smart implements.

  • Benefits:

    • Automates labor-intensive tasks in orchards.

    • Enables data-driven decision-making for improved efficiency.

    • Addresses labor shortages, resource inefficiencies, and sustainability.

AGCO & SDF: Expanding Massey Ferguson’s Tractor Line

  • Objective: Strengthen low-mid horsepower tractor offerings (up to 85 HP).

  • Strategic Benefits:

    • Cost-effective, reliable equipment for small-scale farmers.

    • Expanded powertrain options to meet diverse market needs.

    • Phased global rollout begins mid-2025 via AGCO’s distribution network.

  • Growth Plan: Increase customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability in the low-mid horsepower segment.

NEW PRODUCTS & INNOVATION
Latest Innovation: Spray Aircraft, Irrigation, Weeding Technology & More!

Pyka - Pelican 2: Next-Gen Electric Agricultural Spray Aircraft

  • Features:

    • 300-liter spray payload & 90 hectares/hour coverage.

    • Four-motor electric propulsion system with hot-swappable lithium-ion batteries.

    • Advanced LIDAR & RADAR systems for precision spraying.

    • 18-meter swath width with dynamic droplet size adjustment.

  • Regulatory Status: FAA-approved for commercial use in the U.S.; largest uncrewed aerial system ever authorized.

  • Availability & Price: Available now, starting at $550,000 USD.

  • Global Presence: Operations in Honduras, Brazil, and the U.S.

Netafim - Hybrid Dripline System: First Integral Dripline with Built-In Outlet

  • Innovation: Combines integral & on-line dripper technology for a clog-resistant, leak-free irrigation solution.

  • Efficiency Gains:

    • Eliminates manual hole-punching & additional components.

    • Improves irrigation across greenhouses, orchards, & vineyards.

  • Scalability: Integrated into Netafim's Heavy Wall Driplines portfolio, tailored for diverse agricultural environments.

BASF Digital Farming - xarvio FIELD MANAGER for Fruits & Veggies

  • Purpose: Digital farming platform for specialty crop growers.

  • Initial Launch: France, Italy, Spain, & Türkiye (expanding in 2026).

  • Features:

    • Field-specific recommendations & real-time pest/disease risk updates.

    • Automated documentation & Horta’s Decision Support System (DSS).

  • Sustainability Impact: Lowers input costs, improves yields, & reduces environmental impact.

  • Availability: Subscription-based service launching in September 2025.

Carbon Robotics - LaserWeeder G2: AI-Powered Precision Weeding

  • Technology: Uses computer vision, robotics, & laser tech to remove weeds without herbicides or manual labor.

  • Key Benefits:

    • Higher processing speeds & reduced weight for improved efficiency.

    • Modular design for use across various farm sizes & crop types.

    • Carbon AI-powered weed identification, backed by 40M+ labeled plants.

  • Target Crops: Specialty vegetables, herbs, & broadacre row crops.

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OTHER NEWS
In Other News: Harvesting Robots, Agrivoltaics, Reports & More!

  • BASF is considering an IPO for its Agricultural Solutions division as part of a €2 billion cost-cutting strategy, with potential investment, restructuring, or divestment options under evaluation.

  • Windfall Bio's OptiMem methane-derived fertilizer has received OMRI certification, allowing its use in USDA-certified organic farming and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers.

  • President Trump’s tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico are raising costs for US farmers, impacting agricultural exports, farm equipment, and input prices, while some AgTech investments shift toward automation and robotics.

  • Startup Nation Central & GrowingIL have released the 2025 Israeli Ag & Food Tech Landscape Map, highlighting 150+ startups, 33 funding rounds over $1M, and growth in precision nutrition, clean energy, and synthetic biology.

  • AgPlenus Ltd. has discovered a novel Mode of Action fungicide against Zymoseptoria tritici, a key pathogen in wheat Septoria tritici blotch (STB), using computational screening and lab testing.

  • EIT Food Accelerator Network (FAN) announced its 2025 Corporate Programme Partners, connecting AgriFoodTech startups with corporates for technology scouting, validation, and strategic partnerships.

  • CubicFarm Systems has launched its Wakeeney, Kansas Feed Centre, a Feed-as-a-Service (FaaS) facility, in partnership with Plainview Beef, with five GLS 808 modules planned for 2025 expansion.

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