January 18, 2024

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Robotics and AI startup farm-ng announced it has closed on a $10 million Series A led by Acre Venture Partners and including Xplorer Capital, Hawk Tower, and ten other institutional and individual investors, to advance and scale affordable and adaptable robotic and AI solutions for small to medium-sized farms. 

Founded by company CEO Ethan Rublee, farm-ng has developed a modular electric robot called the Amiga that together with its onboard AI computer, has been built to suit multiple environments, tasks, and crops. The company explained that its open and extensible software allows for integration into farming applications and endless customization through developers and partners to help farms reduce operational costs, increase yields, and generate a rapid return on investment. 

“We are eager to continue our journey in revitalizing agriculture with our robotics and AI platform thanks to the support of our lead investors, Acre Venture Partners and Xplorer Capital, as well as HawkTower and our other investment partners,” said Rublee.

“This Series A funding will enable us to accelerate manufacturing to meet market demand, fund the development of more autonomous farm capabilities, scale our go to market, and develop an ecosystem of applications that help farms thrive for generations to come. At farm-ng, we are committed to cultivating a future where everyone has access to healthy food grown in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.”

In less than a period of 18 months, more than 100 Amigas have been deployed, and are executing a range of farming tasks including precision spraying, seeding, compost spreading, pest management, phenotyping and geo-tagged data collection, visualization, and analysis. 

“farm-ng has sold more robots in a short amount of time than nearly any other agtech startup, a testament to the quality of their robotics and AI solutions,” said Lucas Mann, co-founder and managing partner, Acre Venture Partners.

“The company is led by a stellar team who deeply understand these technologies. Their strategy of collaborating with growers, researchers, developers, and partners to define their offerings has put them on farm with incredible speed,” continued Mann. “This rapid adoption will produce immediate positive outcomes to the environment, and more profitable and efficient ways of growing food.”

The rise of robots in agricultural production represents a promising trend that addresses an array of challenges faced by the farming industry: labor shortages, the need for increased efficiency and sustainability, threats to farm laborer welfare due to severe conditions such as extreme heat, and recalls caused by the contamination of a crop through human contact. 

Farmers – especially those growing labor-intensive specialty crops –  are facing ever greater challenges throughout their production cycles. In the U.S. alone, $90 billion is spent on repetitive, hazardous, manual farming tasks. And due to the strenuous nature of the labor itself, tighter regulations, and rising wages, this workforce has declined by 40 percent over the past decade while climate change costs are hitting profit margins and farm management lacks the necessary data to make precise decisions and scale their operations – driving growers to seek out technology-driven solutions such as automation and robotics. 

While there are still obstacles to overcome, technological advancements and a growing interest in agricultural automation suggest that robots will continue to play a growing role in the future of farming. This reality is reflected in the numbers. Farm robotics startups raised nearly $1 billion in 2021 compared to $375 million in 2020, according to the report Robotics and Automation Recap: February 2023, by Foodbytes, and the rounds continue to grow.

farm-ng has a decisive focus on addressing these issues, aiming to deliver three game-changing outcomes for its customers:

~ Productive, resilient farming operations. Access to farm-ng’s cost-effective solutions significantly reduce manual labor, maintenance, and fuel costs and make farms more resilient to labor shortages, economic shifts, and climate shocks. 

~ Inclusive, sustainable farming practices. With the automation of labor-intensive tasks farms are better able to operate efficiently, see increased yields, and invest in sustainable practices that deliver more profit and healthier foods. 

~ Quick ROI. Because farm-ng’s platform is open and modular, it offers infinite customization possibilities that make it easily adaptable to various crop types. This versatility not only provides a quick return on investment, but evolves with the operation over time.

“We made a seed investment in farm-ng because we saw its potential in transforming the farming industry in an immediate way,” said Jonathan McQueen, co-founder and managing partner, Xplorer Capital.

“Ethan and his team didn’t prove us wrong. We are excited about the company’s momentum and the success it will realize with this Series A.”

~ 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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