April 17, 2023

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Less than a year after closing on a $27 million Series B, Seattle-based agtech innovator Carbon Robotics is in the news again, having closed on a $30 million Series C, bringing total funding to-date to $67 million. 

This latest round was led by new investor Sozo Ventures, who joined participating existing investors  Anthos Capital, Fuse Venture Capital, Ignition Partners, Liquid2, and Voyager Capital.

Currently there are 263 herbicide-resistant species across 71 countries, making weed control and eradication harder than ever. And as regenerative farming and sustainable means of food production continue to gain traction with growers, consumers, and investors alike, non-invasive and non-chemical means of weed control are becoming ever-more in demand.

Here is where Carbon Robotics shines. As a leader in AI-powered robotics, the startup’s LaserWeeder is the world’s first and only commercial laser weeding robot, leveraging cutting-edge AI deep learning technology, computer vision, robotics, and lasers for high-precision weed control. 

The system identifies and targets weeds for elimination, carried out by its 30 high-powered CO2 lasers that use thermal energy to destroy the meristem of the weed with millimeter accuracy without damaging nearby crops or disturbing the soil. This system not only allows for farmers to use less herbicides while easing labor needs, it also improves the reliability and predictability of costs, crop yields, and other factors.

Currently being actively used across 17 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces, growers who use the LaserWeeder have been shown to reduce weed control costs by as much as 80 percent.

“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, Sozo Ventures, who as part of this investment, along with Erik Benson of Voyager Capital, will join the Carbon Robotics Board. 

“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.”

So far, Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder has successfully eliminated more than 500 million weeds across 40 different crops. This year, the LaserWeeder will be delivered to farms in 17 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. And with this capital in-hand, the company plans to expand its North American sales region, optimize and scale manufacturing, develop new software and hardware components, and see an international launch. 

“This financing round further supports our mission to provide cost-effective and efficient precision ag-tech tools to growers,” said Paul Mikesell, CEO and founder, 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.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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