By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media

AgZen, a Somerville, Massachusetts-based agtech startup, has secured $10 million in a fundraising round. Led by DCVC Bio, the round also extended to Material Impact, which led the company’s $3.5 million seed round in 2022 when AgZen was spun out of MIT. AgZen said it would direct the proceeds toward closing the loop on chemical application in agriculture to deliver better outcomes and lower costs across the direct-ag-inputs industry. Other backers of the company include Anderson Family Fund, Finger Interests, and Greg Novak, according to Pitchbook data.

AgZen is behind a farming system that monitors how much of sprayed chemicals actually adheres to the plants in real time as the operator is traversing the fields, resulting in optimal coverage. Its technology runs on a tablet that shows the grower precisely how much of each leaf has been covered by the spray, helping them to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.

The optimization of agricultural yield with minimal input cost presents a critical challenge. Current practices demonstrate significant inefficiencies, with less than 10 percent of applied pesticides and one-third of fertilizers contributing to crop protection and yield. In the U.S. alone, farmers expend substantial sums — $16 billion on pesticides and over $30 billion on fertilizers each year — and yet a fundamental gap exists in the industry’s understanding of the value that is created through these efforts.

AgZen has developed a pioneering approach to agrochemical application through feedback optimization. This methodology ensures precise delivery of each droplet and granule, thereby maximizing field efficiency and effectiveness. The company’s inaugural product, called RealCoverage, represents the first and only system of its kind designed to optimize droplet coverage on target surfaces. This technology slashes pesticide usage within row crop applications by as much as 50 percent, while simultaneously improving weed and disease management, ultimately leading to better crop yields. AgZen has made these advancements by harnessing its expertise in interfacial science, AI and computer vision.

With the fresh capital injection, AgZen AgZen intends to build on the success of its RealCoverage solution and increase its influence on chemical input applications on farms, including foliar, residual pesticides, liquid and granular fertilizers. In addition to targeting individual farms, AgZen has a vision to set a new standard for efficiency while delivering automations to achieve those standards without placing additional strain on operators.

AgZen CEO Vishnu Jayaprakash explained, “The need for feedback optimization shows in our rapid adoption. In only our second commercial year, growers have leased or bought RealCoverage systems for almost a million acres of spraying in 2025. As exciting as that is, we are more excited about how we can revolutionize the ag inputs industry. Our expertise in interfacial science and the knowledge we are unlocking on every leaf and piece of soil, is allowing us to uniquely understand what works and what doesn’t throughout the whole agrochemical farm supply chain from spray technology to chemical actives.”

AgZen’s backers also weighed in:

DCVC Bio Partner Justin Kern said, “AgZen’s technology gives farmers the ability to actually see how their inputs are working: for the first time they have the ability to measure where their dollars are going in the field as they are applying those inputs. Our technology works across equipment and crops to help growers make real optimization decisions.”

Material Impact Co-Founder and Managing Partner Carmichael Roberts stated, “Achieving a sustainable agricultural future begins with how resources are applied on the field. AgZen’s products are going to be game-changer for farmers and the entire agricultural supply chain. It’s the innovation the industry needs to ensure productive, efficient farming practices that will deliver long-term benefits for all stakeholders.”

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