Ag robot maker SwarmFarm raises $30 million in Series B round

Emerald, Queensland-based agricultural robotics company SwarmFarm Robotics has raised $30 million through its Series B round, with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation tipping in $7 million.

According to a statement from the CEFC on Thursday, the round will accelerate the rollout of SwarmFarm’s lightweight, self-driving “SwarmBots”, which reduce herbicide use by up to 95 per cent through precision weed-spraying and fuel-related emissions by 35 per cent, and support “no-till” farming.

The round was led by European agritech investors Edaphon, with support from existing investors QIC, Emmertech, Tenacious Ventures and Artesian Capital. The CEFC backing came through its Powering Australia Technology Fund.

“Our SwarmBots are designed to be versatile platforms that can integrate a range of attachments from different partners, from precision sprayers to mowers, giving farmers the flexibility to adapt the technology to suit their needs,” said SwarmFarm co-founder and CEO Andrew Bate. 

“They've already been deployed in some of Australia's most challenging environments, and this is just the beginning, we’re creating new farming systems from the soil up.”

SwarmFarm was established in 2012. It officially opened its robot assembly site at Wellcamp, near Toowoomba, in February. 

About 200 of its robots are in operation currently. According to its website, they have so far covered 2,102,000 hectares of commercial operation, clocked up 220,000 operating hours, and saved 5,192,000 tonnes of chemicals.

Picture: credit Swarmfarm

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