Carbon Robotics raises $30 million

Seattle, Washington-based Carbon Robotics has closed USD$30 million in Series C financing to scale its AI-powered LaserWeeder platform.

The funding will be used to expand sales regions in North America, optimize and scale manufacturing, develop new software and hardware products, and launch into international markets. This latest round of financing brings Carbon Robotics’ overall funding to $67 million.

The LaserWeeder identifies weeds and targets them for elimination. The implement’s 30 high-powered CO₂ lasers use thermal energy to destroy the meristem of the weed with millimetre accuracy, without damaging nearby crops or disturbing the soil.

“This financing round further supports our mission to provide cost-effective and efficient precision agtech tools to growers,” said Paul Mikesell, CEO and founder 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.”

The company maintains its LaserWeeders have successfully eliminated more than 500 million weeds across 40 different crops. This year, the LaserWeeder will be delivered to farms across 17 U.S. states and three provinces in Canada.

Most recently, Carbon Robotics expanded the features of the LaserWeeder with LaserThinning capability, targeting areas where vegetable crops are purposefully overseeded and then thinned for optimal crop spacing, growth and yield.

The financing comes from new lead investor Sozo Ventures along with existing investors Anthos Capital, Fuse Venture Capital, Ignition Partners, Liquid2 and Voyager Capital.

Read more about Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder.

Read more about robotics in agriculture, here.

Read the MARCH/APRIL 2023 issue of New AG International, free to view here.