Santa Cruz Works

View Original

Neatleaf Secures $4m in Funding to Fulfill the Demand for AI-Driven Cultivation Technology

Tomato plants growing in an indoor greenhouse. Image by Erwan Hesry @erwanhesry

Neatleaf, a startup creating a unique cultivation management platform that utilizes data, AI, and robotics to enhance crop management and yields, has secured $4 million in funding led by AgFunder, a prominent investor in the FoodTech and AgTech sectors.

Neatleaf Spyder is the company’s flagship product and is an autonomous robotic platform that scans indoor cultivation crops, generating extensive data on plant health and growth metrics. With the Spyder, growers are able to gather data and use the data to take immediate action if necessary as well as see exactly when the problem began. With the platform, cultivators can remotely assess, monitor, and repair any issues that occur the moment they arise. Neatleaf's AI-driven technology aims to help growers save time and money while cultivating healthier and more profitable crops.

Neatleaf CEO and Founder, Elmar Mair states that the funding will be used to expand production and bring automation and AI benefits to a wider range of growers. With its ability to detect plant issues before they become visible to the human eye, Neatleaf's technology offers valuable support for crop steering and planning. By providing remote monitoring capabilities, Neatleaf’s technology also enables growers to optimize their resources and possibly reduce travel costs. Tom Shields, a Partner at AgFunder who will be joining Neatleaf's Board of Directors, believes that better data capture at a plant-by-plant level is the key to future yield increases in agriculture, and Neatleaf's innovative solution holds significant promise in achieving this goal.

Neatleaf
Founded in 2020, Neatleaf's mission is to enable cultivators to grow their crops in the most efficient and sustainable way. With offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Munich, Germany, it brings together a multidisciplinary and diverse group of world-class professionals from some of the world's leading technology companies and research institutions. Neatleaf is committed to connecting people with plants and data, and creating a positive impact for our planet.

AgFunder
AgFunder is one of the world's most active foodtech and agtech VCs. We're rethinking venture capital for the 21st century. Born in Silicon Valley in 2013, we use technology, media and our global network to invest in and support transformational founders and technologies. With the world's only truly global agrifoodtech investment portfolio, we've invested in more than 60 companies across six continents. Our news site AFN publishes daily, original news from the frontlines of food+ag+climate, globally.

Neatleaf in the News

Check out an interview we did with Neatleaf back in 2023!