January 22, 2020

By Lynda Kiernan

V-Bio Ventures of Belgium, and Rabo Food & Agri Innovation Fund have led a EUR6.5 million (US$7.2 million) Series A for RootWave, the developer of a method of using electricity to kill weeds sustainably and without herbicides. 

This round was also joined by impact fund Pymwymic of the Netherlands, and existing shareholders, including Yield Lab Ireland. 

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in the UK, RootWave is the developer of a leading solution to organically kill weeds by using electricity to boil weeds from the inside-out, and from the root- up. This technology offers an alternative that is sustainable by reducing carbon emissions and water consumption; is no-till, keeping the integrity of the soil intact and reducing erosion; and is affordable, and instantly effective.

Traditional agricultural herbicide usage is tied to multiple issues and challenges – herbicide resistance, the inability for application in the rain or in windy conditions, the tendency to run-off into waterways, and stricter regulations and cases of litigation, to name but a few.

“We at Rabobank recognize the need for greater sustainable food production and technologies that not only support increase yields, but also safeguard the environment for future generations,” said Richard O’Gorman, director, Rabo Food & Agri Innovation Fund.

“We are very proud to invest in RootWave and our partnership is testament to our mission to support truly innovative emerging technologies that can make a true difference in how we produce food in a future-proof manner.”

The capital from this round will be used by RootWave to integrate its technology into automated agricultural weeders; to advance the commercialization of its RootWave Pro, a professional hand-weeder for combating invasive species; and to fund further research in support of the startup’s novel electricity-based technology.

“This fundraising reinforces the potential of RootWave’s technology and will allow the company to grow its revenues and commercialise its next generation products,” said Andrew Diprose, CEO, RootWave.

“We are grateful for the support from our employees, existing board and shareholders and look forward to welcoming the new investor syndicate to our board. Together we will deliver innovative solutions that the market is urgently demanding.”

It Takes Collaboration

Currently, RootWave is partnering with Small Robot Company (SRC) – another UK-based agtech startup – for the integration of RootWave’s technology along with AI into an automated weed killing robot called the “Dick” that is expected to enter early field trials this year. 

“This is truly a world-first. For the first time, we can see each plant in the field – and every single weed. Instead of spraying the whole field, we can simply zap the individual weeds,” says Sam Watson-Jones, co-founder, Small Robot Company.

 “Farmers are integral to the environmental solution. It’s crucial that we’re working on-farm to develop our technology, to ensure it delivers real benefits in-field. Together, we’re creating the ultimate sustainable farming model.“

With backing from the UK government’s Innovate grant program, SRC has successfully completed development of the “Dick” prototype to an in-lab proof of concept stage, Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4.0, and after its prototype concludes field trials this year, expectations are that the weed zapping service will be available beginning in the autumn of 2021.

Both the National Trust Wimpole Estate and Waitrose Leckford Estate farms are already trialing SRC’s first commercial weed mapping service, which uses SRC’s “Tom” – a monitoring robot that first locates weeds. 

“The key advantage of this groundbreaking technology is that it will enable us to be much more precise and targeted in controlling weeds, therefore helping us to increase crop yields and biodiversity,” said Callum Weir, farm manager of the 1,500-acre Wimpole Estate farm. “It is also lightweight, helping reduce compaction of soils – a consequence of using traditional tractors – which will help improve soil health.”

Similar Energy 

RootWave is not the only pioneer working to develop novel, chemical-free approaches to weed killing.

In October of last year, Investors IP Group, Grain Innovate, and Artesian committed nearly A$1 million in Seed funding to Australian agtech company Growave – a startup developing chemical-free weed control based on microwave energy technology. 

Founded by Graham Brodie, Growave was spun out of research at the University of Melbourne, and has been supported by the university’s Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC). Similar to RootWave’s technology, Growave harnesses microwaves and distributes them in a very thin area above the soil, projecting energy that creates small explosions in weeds by heating the water inside.

“Whenever you put anything that has a lot of water in a microwave oven, it starts to heat up. We can do the same thing by projecting energy onto the ground,” Growave founder Dr. Graham Brodie explained to Startup Smart in October 2019. 

Although these two startups are using different energy sources, the method and results are basically the same – the chemical free, sustainable, and instant killing of damaging weeds.

“We have been impressed by the determination and vision of RootWave’s management team, and by the deep innovation pipeline of the company,” said Willem Broekaert, managing partner, V-Bio Ventures.

“We strongly believe in the transformation RootWave can bring about in the weed control market, and are excited to be part of this journey.”

– Lynda Kiernan is Editor with GAI Media and daily contributor to the GAI News and Agtech Intel platforms. If you would like to submit a contribution for consideration, please contact Ms. Kiernan at lkiernan@globalaginvesting.com.