AgTech Weekly Newsletter: Funding, Investments, and Industry Updates

Key Takeaways

➤ $36M+ in AgTech Funding Announced this week across robotics, vertical farming, and greenhouse energy solutions.
➤ Strategic partnerships are expanding in biostimulants, organic fertilizers, and antibiotic-free livestock feed.
➤ New product launches include methane-reducing feed additives, automated livestock feed mills, and AI-driven plant breeding.
➤ Antitrust lawsuit updates: Syngenta and Corteva face partial legal challenges.
➤ Upcoming events: CEA, Agri-Tech, and Indoor Ag conferences scheduled worldwide.

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🚀 AgTech Weekly: Funding Announcements

Bonsai Robotics Secures $15M to Expand AI-Powered Orchard Management

📌 Who? Bonsai Robotics, an AI-driven automation company.
💰 How much? $15M in Series A funding, led by Bison Ventures.
🎯 Why it matters? The investment will enhance its Visionsteer™ platform, improve data capabilities, and accelerate automation adoption.
🌱 Impact: Deployed in 40+ tree nut orchards across the U.S. and Australia, Bonsai’s autonomous tools reduce costs, increase yields, and provide actionable insights.

AISPRID Raises $10.9M to Scale Autonomous Greenhouse Robots

📌 Who? French AgriTech startup AISPRID.
💰 How much? $10.9M in Series A funding.
🎯 Why it matters? AISPRID’s AI-powered leaf removal robots for greenhouse tomato production address labor shortages and improve efficiency.
🚜 What’s next? 2025 model will feature autonomous row-switching, higher capacity, and improved cutting precision. Expansion plans include increasing production and global commercialization.

Avisomo Secures $5.45M to Advance Vertical Farming Tech

📌 Who? Avisomo, a vertical farming automation company.
💰 How much? $5.45M, including a $1.74M grant from Innovation Norway.
🌍 Why it matters? Avisomo’s modular system reduces water use and food waste, enabling local, year-round food production.
🚀 Impact: The funding supports scaling operations, international growth, and continued tech innovation.

Voltiris Raises $5.26M to Power Greenhouses with Solar Energy

📌 Who? Voltiris, a solar energy solutions provider for greenhouses.
💰 How much? $5.26M, co-led by EquityPitcher Ventures and 3M Ventures.
☀️ Why it matters? Their spectral filtering technology boosts energy efficiency while improving crop resilience (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers).
📈 Next steps: Expanding teams in Switzerland and the Netherlands, focusing on agronomy, solar project development, and sales.

🔗 Read The Most Recent Funding & Investment News Here

🌿 Greenhouse Crop Trends for 2025

🥗 Key Greenhouse Crops to Watch

📌 What’s dominating? Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and lettuce remain top choices.

🍅 Tomatoes:
✔️ High-yielding, disease-resistant, and parthenocarpic varieties (no pollination needed) will drive growth.
✔️ Focus areas: compact plant habits, flavor, and texture improvements.

🥒 Cucumbers:
✔️ High-yielding hybrids, better disease resistance, and enhanced eating quality are top priorities.

🍆 Eggplants:
✔️ Gaining traction with compact growth habits and diverse colors for specialty markets.

🥬 Lettuce:
✔️ Expect downy mildew-resistant varieties, colorful lettuce mixes, and high-efficiency types.
✔️ Hydroponic production in low- and mid-tech greenhouses is expanding.

🌱 Emerging Greenhouse Crop Trends

📌 What’s new? Radishes, peppers, microgreens, berries, and tree seedlings are gaining ground.

🌿 Radishes: Quick turnaround, diverse colors, hydroponic systems, and spring variety expansion fuel their rise.
🌶 Peppers: More color and heat level diversity, disease-resistant cultivars, and growing demand for specialty hot peppers.
🌱 Microgreens & Herbs: Year-round production, expanded mix varieties, and vertical farming integration.
🍓 Berries: Advances in substrate culture, vertical growing systems, and ever-bearing varieties increase efficiency.
🌳 Tree Seedlings: Modernization efforts address rising demand, climate adaptation, and labor challenges.

🔗 Read The Entire Editorial Here

🤝 Strategic Partnerships in AgTech Weekly

🌍 Acadian Plant Health & Koppert Expand Partnership to EMEA

📌 Who? Acadian Plant Health & Koppert
📍 Where? Expanding to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
🌱 Why it matters? This partnership integrates biological pest control with biostimulant technology, providing sustainable solutions for growers.

🎯 Key goals:
✔️ Protect crops from pests and diseases.
✔️ Enhance yields and crop quality.
✔️ Support long-term soil and plant health.

🔄 Innovafeed & Agryco Partner to Expand Organic Fertilizer Distribution

📌 Who? Innovafeed & Agryco
🌍 Where? Global expansion of Hilucia™ Frass, an organic fertilizer made from insect farming byproducts.
🌾 Why it matters? The partnership enhances soil health and crop productivity by integrating organic fertilizers into agricultural practices.

💡 Key benefits:
✔️ Agryco’s digital platform connects producers with organic input suppliers.
✔️ Farmers gain centralized access to product information & sourcing options.

🔗 Read Other Partnership Announcements Here

⚖️ Antitrust Lawsuit Update

Syngenta, Corteva Must Face Parts of Antitrust Lawsuit

📌 Who? Syngenta & Corteva
📍 Where? U.S. federal court, North Carolina
⚖️ What’s happening? Farmers from multiple states can proceed with parts of a class-action lawsuit accusing the companies of using loyalty programs to suppress competition and inflate pesticide prices.

🎯 Key details:
✔️ Farmers from California, Illinois, Florida, Texas, and five other states can pursue claims under federal and state laws.
✔️ A federal antitrust damages claim was dismissed, but some state law claims remain, meaning farmers may still be eligible for compensation.
✔️ Syngenta and Corteva deny the allegations.

🔗 Read The Entire Article Here

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