Key Takeaways
- Sabanto, a provider of autonomous retrofit technology for agriculture, has closed an oversubscribed Series B round led by Leaps by Bayer.
- Additional participants include Sustainable Forward Capital, InnoVenture Iowa, Fulcrum Global Capital, DCVC and Yara.
- The funding will support commercialization and sales growth, targeting hundreds of new farms over the next 12 months.
- Sabanto's Retrofit Autonomy Kit converts existing tractors into autonomous machines in a single day, offering a lower-capital alternative to buying new autonomous equipment.
- The round will fund expanded dealer networks, increased retrofit kit production, continued software development and broader adoption in the row crop market.
Sabanto Raises Oversubscribed Series B Led by Leaps by Bayer
Sabanto, which describes itself as a leader in autonomous retrofit technology for agriculture, has announced an oversubscribed Series B funding round led by Leaps by Bayer, with participation from Sustainable Forward Capital, InnoVenture Iowa, Fulcrum Global Capital, DCVC and Yara. The round is intended to accelerate adoption of Sabanto's autonomous technology, expand its customer base and further develop its autonomy retrofit kits across North America and beyond.
How Sabanto's Retrofit Autonomy Works
Sabanto's Retrofit Autonomy Kit converts off-the-shelf tractors into autonomous machines, using a cloud-connected communications system, multiple GNSS receivers and an onboard AI processing unit that can be installed in a single day. The company said this retrofit approach gives farmers a lower-capital path to autonomy compared with equipment manufacturers focused on larger, more expensive machines, allowing growers to use existing, smaller horsepower equipment instead. By enabling tractors to run autonomously during planting and other field operations, Sabanto said growers can extend operating hours and reduce dependence on seasonal labor.
“This investment represents a major step forward in bringing practical autonomy to more farms,” said Craig Rupp, CEO and founder of Sabanto. “We believe the workhorse of the future is smaller equipment. Our retrofit approach allows farmers to shift labor toward higher-value tasks, increase operating hours, and ultimately focus on growing their business and their bottom line. We're seeing too many farms fold under economic pressure and our solution levels the playing field.”
Sustainability and Efficiency Benefits
Sabanto said its retrofit model, which relies on smaller and lighter equipment, can help reduce soil compaction compared with larger traditional machinery, supporting soil health and long-term field productivity. The company also said autonomous operations can reduce overlaps and idle time and improve route consistency, lowering fuel consumption during field operations. The platform is designed to work alongside precision agriculture systems to help manage fertilizer application, seed placement and spraying, which the company said can reduce input waste and lower cost per acre.
“Farmers today need solutions that improve efficiency without requiring massive capital expenditures,” said Paimun Amini, VP of Agriculture Venture Investments at Leaps by Bayer. “Sabanto's retrofit model offers a scalable and practical pathway to autonomy, especially in today's challenging farm economy. We believe this technology offers options that can reshape how labor and equipment are utilized in row crop farming and beyond while also supporting more sustainable farming practices.”
Where the Funding Will Go
According to Sabanto, the new capital will support expanded commercialization and dealer network growth, increased retrofit kit production and deployment, continued software and autonomy platform development, expanded customer support and field operations, and accelerated adoption within the row crop market. The company recently expanded its autonomous functionality into planting operations and added integrations with Precision Planting® and DICKEY-john® monitoring systems.
