Major Funding for Agricultural Innovation
Seattle-based agricultural technology company Carbon Robotics has reportedly raised $20 million in new funding to support development of what sources describe as a groundbreaking AI-powered robot for farming operations. According to reports, this represents the latest financial boost for the startup that has previously attracted investment from industry giants including NVIDIA.
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Secretive New AI Robot in Development
The funding will support creation of “a brand new AI robot” that company founder and CEO Paul Mikesell told GeekWire will “blow your mind.” While details remain scarce, sources indicate the machine is at least nine months away from being revealed publicly but will leverage the same AI system used in Carbon’s existing equipment while performing tasks beyond weeding.
“It’s very flexible, capable of doing a lot with the world around it, understanding what it’s seeing, what’s happening,” Mikesell said of Carbon’s system that reportedly uses an array of AI, computer vision and machine learning technology. Analysts suggest this represents a significant expansion of the company’s technological capabilities beyond their established weeding solutions.
Established Product Line Shows Strong Growth
Carbon Robotics has built its reputation primarily through the LaserWeeder, a machine that can be pulled behind tractors and uses advanced technology to detect plants in fields before targeting and eliminating weeds with lasers. The company released its latest iteration, the LaserWeeder G2, in February of this year.
Additionally, the company unveiled the Carbon Autonomous Tractor Kit (ATK) in March, previously called the AutoTractor. This autonomous platform is designed to fit on and control existing farm equipment, reportedly serving as an answer to labor shortages while increasing farming productivity.
According to the report, both platforms continue to grow and scale, with Mikesell noting that “things are moving really fast.” LaserWeeders are reportedly active on farms across the United States and in 14 countries worldwide.
Advanced AI and Global Expansion
Beyond the secretive new machine, Carbon Robotics is revealing more about what it calls the “large plant model” at the heart of its computer vision technology through AI systems. Reports indicate the company has reached a point where it has sufficient training data and labeled images to teach its AI to understand the basic structure of plants it encounters.
This technological advancement reportedly allows Carbon to run one model on every machine globally. “If new weeds pop up in an onion field in France, and those are eventually going to show up in a carrot field in the U.S., the first time we see that weed anywhere it can be part of the model and be ready to go,” Mikesell explained to GeekWire.
The company has established manufacturing facilities in Richland, Washington, and added another in the Netherlands to reportedly offset trade and tariff issues while speeding deployment of machines throughout Europe.
Investment and Competitive Landscape
The Series D-2 extension round attracted Giant Ventures as lead investor, a UK-based venture capital firm that invests across various “purpose-driven” startups. According to Mikesell, the investors “got what we were trying to do.”
When addressing competition, Mikesell acknowledged that some companies in Europe claim to be building versions of LaserWeeder technology, but he stated he’s never seen one operational in a field or competed directly against one. “It’s very hard to create a LaserWeeder,” he said. “The targeting system is so special, and the AI is so special.”
Carbon Robotics, which has raised $177 million to date according to reports, now employs approximately 260 people. While revenue continues to grow annually, sources indicate the company is not yet profitable.
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References
- https://carbonrobotics.com/
- https://www.giant.vc/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotics
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeekWire
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