AgTech Week of 18 August: Funding Rounds, Strategic Initiatives & Innovation Milestones

Key Takeaways

Reservoir and John Deere announced a partnership to support startups innovating in high-value crops and automation.
Singrow raised $4.5M to expand climate-resilient crops and precision genomics across Southeast Asia.
Taylor Geospatial Institute launched a $2M challenge targeting food security through advanced geospatial tools.
Hort Americas’ Chris Higgins emphasized the need for pragmatic, ROI-driven AgTech investments.
NEC and ClimateAi introduced an AI model to evaluate the ROI of climate adaptation strategies in cocoa and rice sectors.

Reservoir and John Deere Partner for AgTech Acceleration

During the AgTech Week of 18 August, California-based incubator Reservoir announced a strategic partnership with John Deere. The collaboration combines Deere’s automation expertise with Reservoir’s grower network to support startups innovating in high-value crops. Startups will benefit from branding support and field-testing opportunities—helping validate technology under real farming conditions.

Kelly Hills Debuts SpraySense and Rural Mobility Program

Also this week, Kelly Hills introduced SpraySense, an AI-based system for fungicide application and input management. Developed via its accelerator The Forge, SpraySense blends aerial imagery, agronomy, and autonomous spraying. At the same event, Kelly Hills launched the Rural Autonomous Mobility Program (RAMP), enabling farm equipment to operate autonomously on public roads in Kansas.

TGI Launches $2M Geospatial Food Security Challenge

The Taylor Geospatial Institute opened applications for its Geospatial Innovation for Food Security Challenge, offering up to $2 million in funding. The program, announced during the AgTech Week of 18 August, invites academia, startups, and nonprofits to develop solutions in crop modeling, nitrogen efficiency, and supply chain resilience. Applications close on October 31, 2025.

Seed2Grow Graduates First Startup at NC State

Hoofprint Biome, a methane-reducing cattle feed startup, became the first graduate of NC State’s Seed2Grow program after securing $15M in funding. With backing from Bayer Crop Science, Seed2Grow supports agtech startups with lab space, mentorship, and business development. The program will now expand to non-NC State-affiliated companies.

NEC and ClimateAi Unveil Climate ROI Model

In a new development unveiled this AgTech Week of 18 August, NEC Corporation and ClimateAi co-developed a tool to quantify the return on investment for climate adaptation measures like irrigation and planting time shifts. The tool targets cocoa and rice value chains and will be showcased at TICAD 9 in Japan. It aims to support investment decisions for development banks, private funders, and NGOs.

Chris Higgins: “Farmers Want ROI, Not Hype”

In a candid interview, Hort Americas President Chris Higgins noted that while CEA continues to mature, North American greenhouse consolidation is shrinking opportunities for new entrants. “Farmers aren’t chasing hype. They want solutions with measurable ROI,” said Higgins. He also raised concerns about agtech funding models that don’t align with agriculture’s low-margin, long-horizon business reality.

Read the entire conversation.

Funding Rounds and Regulatory Milestones

PowerPollen launched its autonomous pollination fleet using AI and vision systems to optimize yields in corn.
Singrow raised $4.5 million in Series A funding to scale operations in vertical farming and genomics, and expand across Southeast Asia.
Tidal Grow AgriScience received regulatory approval in California for its Spectra biopesticide, used on citrus, grapes, and tree nuts.

New Developments in Sustainable AgTech

Pivot Bio joined forces with the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund to support reduced nitrogen use in the Midwest via outcomes-based incentives.
Monsanto reached preliminary settlements for over 200 PCB-related claims in Washington state, with final agreements pending.
Rimaco Greens launched a pressurized greenhouse prototype in Alberta, Canada, with thermal energy storage and automated climate control.

Global Initiatives and Infrastructure

Forager Project launched The Cashew Project in Côte d’Ivoire to empower female farmers through training and certification.
GrubMarket rolled out a new AI-driven tool to automate the processing of PDFs and spreadsheets in ERP workflows.
Halter and BLM launched a $2.7M initiative supporting U.S. ranchers with virtual fencing solutions for improved land management.

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