Orchard Robotics, an agtech startup using artificial intelligence to deliver precise data on farm operations, has raised $22 million from investors.
The company was founded by Seattle-based CEO Charlie Wu, a Thiel Fellow who dropped out of Cornell University to launch his business in 2022.
“Solving farming is a data problem, and data is the bedrock of every farming decision. But the lack of precise, actionable data is the bottleneck,” Wu said in a statement. “Orchard Robotics exists to help our farmers become more profitable and efficient, and this new funding accelerates our ability to deliver a sustainable future for agriculture.”
The startup has developed a system with cameras that are mounted on tractors and other equipment to gather images as they traverse a farm. The collected images are then analyzed by Orchard Robotics’ AI to generate data on vines, trees and crops, which is then processed to track the growth, yield and health of crops.
The technology was initially deployed on apple and grape farms, and has expanded into operations growing blueberries, cherries, almonds, pistachios, citrus and strawberries.
Orchard Robotics is based in San Francisco and its team is largely split between Washington and California, according to LinkedIn data.
The Series A round was led by Quiet Capital and Shine Capital, with continued participation from General Catalyst, Contrary, Mythos, Valyrian and Ravelin. Other investors include Formula One driver Nico Rosberg and Yext & Roam Founder Howard Lerman. The startup has raised more than $25 million in total.
Washington is home to a wide variety of agtech startups. That includes other companies that collect and/or analyze data, such Loftus Labs, innov8.ag and FruitScout, as well as IUNU and Koidra, which are focused on greenhouse crops.
Other agtech business in the Pacific Northwest are tackling field operations such as weed destroyers Carbon Robotics and Aigen; rock removing TerraClear; and irrigation startups FarmHQ and Verdi.
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