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The Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder sensible implement can autonomously take away undesirable vegetation from the crop area. | Credit: Carbon Robotics
Carbon Robotics closed $30 million in Series C financing from new lead investor Sozo Ventures together with present traders Anthos Capital, Fuse Venture Capital, Ignition Partners, Liquid2 and Voyager Capital. The funding can be used to broaden gross sales areas in North America, optimize and scale manufacturing, develop new software program and {hardware} merchandise, and launch into worldwide markets. This newest spherical of financing brings Carbon Robotics’ total funding to $67 million.
“Carbon Robotics’ elegant use of AI, computer vision, robotics and lasers is the only solution that enables farmers to reduce their most expensive line item – weed control – without damaging plants or the soil,” stated Rob Freelen, managing director of Sozo Ventures. “I am particularly impressed with the team’s fast pace of innovation to bring breakthrough products to market, boosting farmers’ profitability across conventional, organic and no-till practices.”
The LaserWeeder identifies weeds and targets them for elimination. The implement’s 30 high-powered CO2 lasers use thermal power to destroy the meristem of the weed with millimeter accuracy, with out damaging close by crops or disturbing the soil.
“This financing round further supports our mission to provide cost-effective and efficient precision ag-tech tools to growers,” stated Paul Mikesell, CEO and founding father of Carbon Robotics. “Traditional weeding methods, including hand weeding and herbicides, are expensive, unreliable and damage soil health. The LaserWeeder uniquely addresses all of these challenges.”
To date, Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeders have efficiently eradicated greater than 500 million weeds throughout 40 totally different crops. This 12 months, the LaserWeeder™ can be delivered to farms throughout 17 U.S. states and three provinces in Canada. Most not too long ago, Carbon Robotics expanded the options of the LaserWeeder with the trade’s first LaserThinning functionality, focusing on areas the place vegetable crops are purposefully overseeded after which thinned for optimum crop spacing, progress and yield.
As a part of the Series C financing, Rob Freelen with Sozo Ventures and Erik Benson with Voyager Capital will be part of the Carbon Robotics board of administrators.