Key Takeaways
- Verdi secured $6.5 million CAD ($4.7 million USD) in an oversubscribed seed round, bringing total funding to $9.5 million.
- The round was led by SVG Ventures, with participation from NEC X, Ponderosa Ventures, and several other climate-focused investors.
- Verdi retrofits smart irrigation automation onto existing farm infrastructure, enabling up to 90% labor savings and 70% water savings.
- The company has deployed its technology across 5,000+ acres in North America and saved over 100 million liters of water in 2024 alone.
- Funding will support geographic expansion, product development, and deeper collaboration with large agribusinesses.
Verdi Closes $6.5M CAD Seed Round to Accelerate Irrigation Automation for Every Farm
Verdi, a Canadian AgTech company focused on making irrigation automation accessible and scalable, announced it has raised $6.5 million CAD ($4.7 million USD) in an oversubscribed seed funding round. The investment brings the company’s total funding to $9.5 million CAD to date.
The round was led by SVG Ventures, with participation from a broad group of strategic and climate-focused investors, including NEC X, Ponderosa Ventures (Galvanize Climate Solutions), Elemental Impact, GenomeBC, and others such as One Small Planet, Waterpoint Lane, Dangerous Ventures, VentureUs, Echo River Capital, Cyan Ventures, Jetstream, and Baker Hall Capital.
“This round fuels our ability to scale rapidly and continue delivering impact where it matters most – on the farm,” said Arthur Chen, CEO and Co-founder of Verdi.
Verdi’s Practical Approach to Smart Irrigation
Verdi’s platform leverages patented smart devices that retrofit existing farm infrastructure, allowing growers to automate irrigation without costly or disruptive upgrades. The technology includes:
- Remote leak detection
- Row-level irrigation control
- AI-powered software for efficiency and resilience
By simplifying deployment, Verdi has gained traction among growers and agribusinesses across Canada and the United States, operating on more than 5,000 acres of farmland.
In 2024 alone, Verdi helped customers:
- Save over $1 million in irrigation labor costs
- Reduce water use by more than 100 million liters
- Achieve up to 90% labor savings, 70% water savings, and 20% yield increases
“They’re solving one of agriculture’s biggest challenges – climate resilience – through a solution that is not only innovative but also practical and scalable,” said John Hartnett, CEO of SVG Ventures.
Scaling Impact Through AI and Industry Collaboration
With the new funding, Verdi plans to:
- Expand into new regions in North America and beyond
- Enhance its AI-powered platform
- Collaborate with major food and beverage companies to bring automation to commercial-scale farms
The company has more than doubled its team over the past year, now consisting of 24 experts in agronomy, hardware design, and intelligent software.
Verdi’s approach aligns with a broader shift toward climate-smart agriculture, offering growers a means to future-proof their operations in the face of water scarcity, labor shortages, and market pressures.
