Carbon Robotics Raises $30M to Scale AI-Powered LaserWeeder Platform; Paul Mikesell and Rob Freelen Discuss
SEATTLE, WA - A $30 million Series C financing round was recently closed for Carbon Robotics from new lead investor Sozo Ventures. This latest round of financing brings Carbon Robotics’ overall funding to $67 million and will be used to expand sales regions in North America, optimize and scale manufacturing, develop new software and hardware products such as the LaserWeeder™, and launch into international markets.
“This financing round further supports our mission to provide cost-effective and efficient precision ag-tech tools to growers,” said Paul Mikesell, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Carbon Robotics. “Traditional weeding methods, including hand weeding and herbicides, are expensive, unreliable, and damage soil health. The LaserWeeder uniquely addresses all of these challenges.”
The LaserWeeder identifies weeds and targets them for elimination. The implement’s 30 high-powered CO2 lasers use thermal energy to destroy the meristem of the weed with millimeter accuracy, without damaging nearby crops or disturbing the soil.
To date, noted the release, Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeders have successfully eliminated more than 500 million weeds across 40 different crops. This year, the LaserWeeder will be delivered to farms across 17 U.S. states and three provinces in Canada. Most recently, Carbon Robotics expanded the features of the LaserWeeder with the LaserThinning capability, targeting areas where vegetable crops are purposefully overseeded and then thinned for optimal crop spacing, growth, and yield.
“Carbon Robotics’ elegant use of AI, computer vision, robotics, and lasers is the only solution that enables farmers to reduce their most expensive line item—weed control—without damaging plants or the soil,” said Rob Freelen, Managing Director of Sozo Ventures. “I am particularly impressed with the team’s fast pace of innovation to bring breakthrough products to market, boosting farmers’ profitability across conventional, organic, and no-till practices.”
As part of the Series C financing, Rob Freelen with Sozo Ventures and Erik Benson with Voyager Capital will join the Carbon Robotics Board of Directors.
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