Silicon Valley-based Bear Flag Robotics has raised $3.5 million in Seed funds through a round led by True Ventures, bringing total funding raised by the company to $4.5 million to-date.
Founded just last year by Igino Cafiero and Aubrey Donnellan, Bear Flag is developing autonomous technology for farming that will lower operations costs for farmers and managers while increasing yields by up to 15 percent. Looking to alleviate the labor crunch currently affecting the agricultural industry, Bear Flag’s technology allows farmers to automate many of their daily operations including spraying, mowing, discing, ripping, ground preparation, and other activities associated with the production of specialty permanent crops such as nuts, fruits, and grapes.
“We’re incredibly interested in how automation and technology can fundamentally aid the farmer in their constant struggle against the elements including changing climate patterns and soil health,” said Rohit Sharma, a partner with True Ventures who will join the Bear Flag Board of Directors as part of the deal. “Bear Flag’s autonomous driving technology for farm machines can increase crop yields, lower operational costs and ultimately lay the groundwork for more sustainable food production.”
Integrating Bear Flag’s tech will allow a single farmer to manage a fleet of vehicles, that since they are smaller, will increase yields through less soil compaction while doing the work of an entire crew of employees.
“Imagine a farmer by the time they wake up at 5 in the morning, his or her field is already tilled, because the machine can wake up at 2 a.m., decide it’s the right time to do it, and go pick the right implement from the garage or the barn, then till the fields,” Sharma told CNBC.
With operations going online at the end of this year, Bear Flag plans to provide leasing options to farmers looking to operate a fleet of autonomous tractors and equipment. The company also will offer both full-service and hybrid models, which has operations monitored by a central location.
-Lynda Kiernan