80 Acres Farms, IBI Ag, CarbonZero.Eco, Proba, Edacious, CIBO Technologies,Gates Ag, Corteva, Topcon Agriculture, Bonsai Robotics, AGCO, SDF, Pyka, Netafim, BASF - This Week in AgTech

Anna: 00:00

Welcome to another episode of AgTech Digest, your go-to source for the latest in agricultural technology. This week, we're covering major funding rounds in vertical farming, crop protection, and biochar technology, with investments fueling tech expansion, targeted pest control, and carbon sequestration projects. We'll dive into how AI is transforming greenhouse management through climate control, resource efficiency, and pest prevention. Plus, exciting new partnerships are advancing seed technology, agricultural automation, and tractor innovations for small-scale farmers. We'll also explore cutting-edge products like electric spray aircraft, hybrid dripline irrigation systems, and AI-powered laser weeders. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started!

Anna: 00:48

This week’s agricultural technology funding landscape is buzzing with significant investments across vertical farming, bio-insecticides, biochar, carbon finance, and nutrient transparency. To begin with, Eighty Acres Farms raised one hundred and fifteen million dollars to expand its technology platform, strengthen its retail presence, and develop an ingredients channel. The funding came from General Atlantic, Siemens Financial Services, Western & Southern Life Insurance, Barclays Climate Ventures, Virgin Investment Group, and Blue Earth Capital. Additionally, the company made strategic acquisitions, including Israeli biotech firm Plantae Biosciences to enhance crop genetics for controlled environment agriculture, along with Mother Raw and a new vertical farming Field Lab in The Hague. Meanwhile, IBI Ag secured six point one million dollars in a Series A round led by Corteva, focusing on single-domain antibody-based bio-insecticides designed for targeted pest control. Initially aimed at high-value crops, IBI Ag plans to expand into row crops, aligning with Corteva’s emphasis on next-generation biological and naturally inspired solutions. In addition, CarbonZero.Eco completed a three point five million dollar seed round with backing from Google, Meta, Amazon, and late-stage startup CEOs. The company is partnering with over three hundred California almond farms to sequester one point five million tons of carbon dioxide using biochar. Notably, seven million dollars in adoption agreements are already in place, with the first biochar production site set to open in Colusa County, California, by April 2025. Furthermore, CarbonZero.Eco is certified by Puro.earth as a carbon dioxide Removal Certificate supplier, expecting to generate carbon credits by summer 2025 and ultimately aiming to expand biochar adoption across five hundred and twenty-five million acres of U.S. farmland. Shifting focus to carbon finance, Proba raised one million euros in a round led by Future Food Fund and Yield Lab Europe to support verified insetting solutions within the agri-food sector. By working directly with supply chain partners, Proba aims to quantify, verify, and finance emission reductions, effectively transforming sustainability efforts into financial value while addressing the five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions associated with nitrogen fertilizers. Lastly, Edacious closed an eight point one million dollar Series Seed round, led by Patagonia’s Tin Shed Ventures and supported by Nest Family Office, Trailhead Capital, and others. The funding will help scale operations, enhance proprietary tools, and broaden food system collaborations. Edacious’s standout innovation is a nutrient transparency tool that demonstrates up to ten times variability in nutrition among similar food groups, challenging the widespread assumption that all foods of the same type provide identical nutrition. Altogether, these investments reflect a strong momentum in agricultural technology, driving advancements in sustainability, efficiency, and food quality.

Anna: 03:58

AI is transforming greenhouse management by enhancing temperature and humidity balance with minimal manual intervention. Systems like Hoogendoorn’s IIVO use AI-driven intelligent algorithms for stable growing conditions through predictive and dynamic adjustments. Digital twin technology allows growers to test climate strategies before implementing changes. AI predicts lighting and temperature profiles without historical data, enabling pre-implementation adjustments.In terms of resource efficiency, AI optimizes ventilation, heating, and carbon dioxide utilization. AI-driven systems improve water and nutrient management, extending equipment longevity, ensuring product quality consistency, and improving workflow. For disease and pest protection, the integrated crop condensation model prevents condensation, reducing disease risk. Integration with Letsgrow.com offers dynamic pest and disease monitoring with real-time action logging. AI-driven solutions also enhance sustainability through the Target Line Panel and dynamic adjustments that fine-tune greenhouse conditions. Optimized ventilation and heating improve airflow and reduce energy waste, while efficient carbon dioxide utilization and intelligent lighting ensure sustainability while maximizing yields.

Anna: 05:16

This week, we dive into how CIBO Technologies is driving the future of regenerative agriculture. Founded by Flagship Pioneering, CIBO aims to scale regenerative agriculture using simulation, modeling, and remote sensing. The company provides scalable sustainability solutions for corporations and governments without relying on extensive local data. To simplify access to sustainability programs, CIBO works through trusted advisors to pre-qualify farmers based on field boundaries and modeled practices. This approach helps corporations incentivize regenerative agriculture adoption while reducing complexity for farmers.CIBO addresses key agricultural challenges, including financial pressures on farmers by offering economic incentives for sustainability adoption and tackling slow corporate progress on climate goals by integrating government funding with corporate sustainability initiatives to reduce costs.The company sees potential in technologies like biologicals to enhance soil health and nitrogen-use efficiency, as well as automated data integration to capture insights directly from farm equipment for better decision-making. CIBO’s long-term vision is to expand its impact to over one hundred million acres of farmland globally, build a leading regenerative agriculture platform that balances scalability and profitability, and support a resilient food system by reducing emissions and reversing soil degradation for food security.

Anna: 06:44

This week’s partnerships bring exciting innovations across seed technologies, agricultural automation, and equipment expansion. Gates Agricultural Innovations and Corteva are collaborating to advance seed technologies with a focus on biotechnology and gene-editing to boost crop productivity and climate resilience. Targeting regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where smallholder farmers face climate risks despite minimal contributions to climate change, their key innovation involves nutrient symbiosis technologies that help crops utilize natural nutrients, reduce synthetic fertilizer dependency, and enhance yields.In another exciting development, Topcon Agriculture and Bonsai Robotics are working to enhance agricultural automation. Their goal is to improve automation in permanent crops by integrating Bonsai Robotics' vision-based autonomy and navigation systems with Topcon’s autosteering, precision sensors, telematics, and smart implements. These innovations will automate labor-intensive tasks in orchards, enable data-driven decision-making for improved efficiency, and address challenges like labor shortages, resource inefficiencies, and sustainability. Additionally, AGCO and SDF are teaming up to expand Massey Ferguson’s tractor line, focusing on strengthening low-mid horsepower tractor offerings (up to 85 HP). This collaboration aims to provide cost-effective, reliable equipment for small-scale farmers, offering expanded powertrain options to meet diverse market needs. The phased global rollout will begin in mid-2025 via AGCO’s distribution network, with plans to increase customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability in the low-mid horsepower segment.

Anna: 08:29

This week’s product innovations bring cutting-edge technology to agriculture, from next-gen spray aircraft to advanced irrigation and weeding solutions. Pyka introduces the Pelican 2, a next-gen electric agricultural spray aircraft with impressive features, including a three hundred liter spray payload, ninety hectares per hour coverage, and a four-motor electric propulsion system with hot-swappable lithium-ion batteries. Equipped with advanced LIDAR and RADAR systems for precision spraying, it offers an 18-meter swath width with dynamic droplet size adjustment. Already FAA-approved for commercial use in the U.S., this is the largest uncrewed aerial system ever authorized. The Pelican 2 is available now, starting at five hundred and fifty thousand USD, with operations in Honduras, Brazil, and the U.S. Netafim has launched its Hybrid Dripline System, which combines integral and on-line dripper technology for a clog-resistant, leak-free irrigation solution. This innovation eliminates the need for manual hole-punching and additional components, improving irrigation across greenhouses, orchards, and vineyards. Integrated into Netafim's Heavy Wall Driplines portfolio, it’s tailored for diverse agricultural environments and scalable for global use. BASF Digital Farming introduces the xarvio FIELD MANAGER for fruits and vegetables, a digital farming platform providing field-specific recommendations and real-time pest/disease risk updates. With automated documentation and Horta’s Decision Support System (DSS), the platform improves sustainability by lowering input costs, improving yields, and reducing environmental impact. This subscription-based service will launch in France, Italy, Spain, and Türkiye in 2025, with an expansion planned for 2026. Finally, Carbon Robotics presents the LaserWeeder G2, an AI-powered precision weeding technology that uses computer vision, robotics, and laser tech to remove weeds without herbicides or manual labor. Its modular design is suited for various farm sizes and crop types, offering higher processing speeds and improved efficiency. The system is backed by Carbon’s AI-powered weed identification, based on over 40 million labeled plants, targeting specialty vegetables, herbs, and broadacre row crops.

Anna: 10:49

In other news this week, BASF is exploring the possibility of an IPO for its Agricultural Solutions division as part of a two billion euros cost-cutting strategy. This includes evaluating investment, restructuring, and potential divestment options. Moving on, Windfall Bio has received OMRI certification for its methane-derived fertilizer, OptiMem, making it eligible for use in USDA-certified organic farming. This innovation reduces the reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Meanwhile, President Trump’s tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico are raising costs for U.S. farmers, particularly affecting agricultural exports, farm equipment, and input prices. This has led to a shift in some AgTech investments toward automation and robotics. Additionally, Startup Nation Central and GrowingIL have released the 2025 Israeli Ag & Food Tech Landscape Map, showcasing over one hundred and fifty startups and thirty three funding rounds exceeding one million dollars. The map highlights growth in precision nutrition, clean energy, and synthetic biology. Also, AgPlenus Limited has discovered a novel Mode of Action fungicide targeting Zymoseptoria tritici, a key pathogen causing wheat Septoria tritici blotch (STB). This breakthrough came through computational screening and lab testing. The EIT Food Accelerator Network has announced its 2025 Corporate Programme Partners, connecting AgriFoodTech startups with corporates for technology scouting, validation, and strategic partnerships. Finally, CubicFarm Systems has launched its Wakeeney, Kansas Feed Centre, a Feed-as-a-Service facility, in partnership with Plainview Beef. The project includes plans for five GLS 808 modules in a 2025 expansion.

Anna: 12:39

Looking ahead to upcoming industry events, mark your calendars for the 2nd International Conference on CEA in Plymouth UK on February 25, 2025. Following that, the World Agri-Tech San Francisco 2025 will be a key gathering, and then the Indoor Ag Con will take place in Las Vegas, USA from March 11th to 12th. Additionally, VIV Asia will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from March 12th to 14th, offering more opportunities to connect and learn. Later in the year, the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Entomology will be held from May 19th to 21st 2025, with Reuters Events: Transform Food & Agriculture Europe 2025 rounding out this exciting season of industry events.

Anna: 13:22

That wraps up today's episode of AgTech Digest. We’ve delved into the latest innovations and investments across the agricultural technology landscape. From AI-driven greenhouse climate control systems to the next-gen electric agricultural spray aircraft, the sector is clearly advancing toward smarter, more efficient, and sustainable solutions. With major funding rounds, strategic partnerships, and breakthrough products, we’re witnessing a transformation that’s reshaping the future of agriculture. Whether it's precision weeding, improved irrigation, or regenerative farming practices, there’s no doubt that agtech is paving the way for a more resilient food system. Thanks for joining me, I’m Anna, signing off. Stay inspired and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible!