Verdant Robotics to use $46.5 million investment to scale technology

Verdant Robotics will use $46.5 million in venture capital funding to scale its advanced robotic technology. The company’s autonomous platform features an ag robot that can simultaneously weed, fertilize and treat plants for pests and diseases while collecting data.

The Hayward, California-headquartered company announced the close of Series A funding late last month. Lead investor Cleveland Avenue was joined by DCVC Bio, Future Ventures, SeaX Ventures and all existing investors, including Autotech Ventures, Cavallo Ventures and AgFunder.

Verdant’s commercial Robotics-As-A-Service services thousands of acres of specialty crops, with orders pending for tens of thousands of additional acres, the company said. The funding will enable Verdant to rapidly scale its fleet while developing next-generation products that increase RaaS efficiency.

“Increasingly, consumers are demanding food that meets the trifecta of good for me, for my community and for the planet,” said Don Thompson, founder and CEO of Cleveland Avenue LLC. “Verdant offers next-level precision that growers — and our global food supply — need to meet these demands, not only in the next 20 years but in the next five.”

Verdant works to solve labor challenges facing farmers while allowing growers to access regenerative and precision practices supporting soil health, water conservation, carbon sequestration and nutrient-dense crops.

“Verdant’s ultra-precision spraying platform is here today, adding new value while doing more with less. Thanks to the ongoing support from our investors, growers can thrive as we deploy this transformative technology together,” said Gabe Sibley, Verdant co-founder and CEO. “At Verdant, we believe that an outsized opportunity requires an oversized effort that only robotics can deliver for agriculture.”