Verdant Robotics Raises $46.5M to Reduce Ag Chemicals and Improve Farm Profits; Gabe Sibley and Don Thompson Discuss
HAYWARD, CA - As farm labor shortages pose challenges for farmers across the fresh produce industry, Verdant Robotics is working toward a solution, and recently came one step closer as it announced the close of a $46.5 million Series A funding round. With this new capital, the company will scale its advanced robotic technology and accelerate the broad adoption of its regenerative and precision ag solutions.
“Verdant’s ultra-precision spraying platform is here today—adding new value while doing more with less. Thanks to the ongoing support from our investors, growers can thrive as we deploy this transformative technology together,” said Gabe Sibley, Ph.D., Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Verdant Robotics. “At Verdant, we believe that an outsized opportunity requires an oversized effort that only robotics can deliver for agriculture.”
Lead investor Cleveland Avenue was joined by DCVC Bio, Future Ventures, SeaX Ventures, and all existing investors, including Autotech Ventures, Cavallo Ventures, and AgFunder, making the series one of the largest investments in ag robotics to date.
As farmers have faced labor shortages, Verdant’s commercial Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) has been in high demand, a release stated. The company currently has orders pending for tens of thousands of additional acres as it services a wide variety of specialty crops.
With this investment, the solutions provider can rapidly scale its fleet while also developing next-generation products that increase RaaS efficiency. Verdant’s multi-action, autonomous platform can simultaneously weed, fertilize, and treat plants for pests and diseases, all while collecting data on each plant, allowing farmers to make crucial decisions in real time.
“Autonomous vehicles and dancing robots may get headlines, but there really is no more impactful area for robotics, automation, and machine learning to be applied than agriculture. Growing abundant foods in sustainable ways is our generation’s biggest challenge and the founding principle behind Verdant Robotics,” added Sibley.
As the release went on to note, the global agriculture autonomous robots market is projected to reach $10.5 billion in 2027, growing at a CAGR of 19 percent from 2022 to 2027. This is driven by the growing need for precision, digital, and smart agriculture practices to meet food and sustainability demands.
“Increasingly, consumers are demanding food that meets the trifecta of good for me, for my community, and for the planet,” said Don Thompson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Avenue. “Verdant offers next-level precision that growers—and our global food supply—need to meet these demands, not only in the next 20 years but in the next five.”
To see the growth and advancements that come from this new round of funding, stick with AndNowUKnow.
