Automating Crop Agronomy via Big Data and AI
Graphic of the Month – Automating Crop Agronomy via Big Data and AI
Welcome to the New Food Finance newsletter!
Podcast! Innovating Agriculture with Decibel Bio
In our latest episode, we sat down with Travis Bayer, co-founder and CEO of Decibel Bio, who also brings deep industry insight from his time as CTO and co-founder at Sound Agriculture. Travis dived into the evolving world of agri-tech, and shared his vision for how science and technology are reshaping modern farming.
Podcast Highlights
The Impact of Tariffs on Agriculture
Travis lays it straight on trade protectionism:
“Trade protectionism is not good for ag. In U.S. agriculture, especially in corn and soy, we rely on export markets. If you want to spook a room of farmers, you walk in and start talking about tariffs.”
He stresses how tariff talk is especially unhelpful now, in a context of exceptionally tough farm economics.
Blueprint for Startup Success
For startups looking to make a mark in the agri-tech space, Travis shares his formula:
Unique Business Approach: Clearly define what sets you apart.
Value Proposition: Understand and communicate the value you’re offering to consumers.
Integrating Science: Having established how you will reach your customers, fit your science around that business approach.
Decibel Bio vs. Sound Agriculture: A Shift in Focus
While Sound Agriculture leverages small molecule chemistry and natural products to optimize microbial signals for better crop productivity, Decibel Bio is taking a bold leap forward with nucleic acid technology. By tapping into plant epigenetics, Decibel Bio aims to disrupt the $100 billion seed industry.
How it Works: Their approach involves turning genes on and off during the growing season, delivering targeted crop traits through an innovative crop spray.
Example in Action: To combat drought, Decibel Bio might activate genes that produce aquaporins, crucial proteins that enhance water transport in plants.
The Future of Food Production: Automation and AI
Looking ahead to the next decade, Travis expects a transformation in farm agronomy. Imagine this:
Today: An agronomist physically surveys a field, identifies a disease, and then recommends a spray.
Tomorrow: Big soil, weather, crop, and imagery data are collected and fed into predictive AI models, which process these into recommended interventions, in an automated loop.
To illustrate this future, we dug into our database, and uncovered five innovative companies that are already pioneering automated agronomic processes (See our Graphic of the Month). These firms use a combination of:
Diverse Data Sensors: From drones and satellites to in-field loggers.
Real-Time Data: Tracking everything from soil moisture and temperature to weather forecasts and farm machinery locations.
Advanced Analytics: Leveraging proprietary machine learning models to turn these data into insights.
Automated Recommendations: Processing insights into recommended or executed interventions, from precision irrigation to fertiliser applications.
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Who Are We?
At New Food Finance, we track technologies and opportunities in cutting the environmental impact of food production. Our database is updated DAILY, tracking the biggest and best data and news sources. Our platform comprises:
>3,600 agtech and foodtech companies
>8,100 investors in and 500 acquirors of these companies
>$106 billion fund-raising transactions
$48 billion M&A deals
Proprietary Taxonomy – Using more than 1,700 markets and technologies
“Green Transition” Deals of the Week
In our “Green Transition” space in March and early April, we saw 37 fundraisings worth $337 million.
United States, April 4, 2023 – Kalera is an operator of three U.S. vertical farms, produces salads, herbs, and microgreens. The company secured $5.1 million debtor-in-possession financing from Farm Credit of Central Florida, as it seeks to navigate a Chapter 11 filing.
Canada, Apr 1, 2025 – AdvancedAg is a Canadian microbial biologicals company which raised $1.4 million in a Pre-Venture Capital round from Raven Indigenous Capital Partners.
France, Apr 1, 2025 – Cherico develops chicory-based coffee substitutes, and raised $1.1 million in a Pre-Venture Capital round from undisclosed investors.
United States, Mar 27, 2025 – Vestaron develops peptide-based insecticides for specialty crops, and raised $20 million in a venture capital round from undisclosed investors.
Netherlands, Mar 27, 2025 – Protix is an insect farming company producing animal feed, pet food, aquafeed, and fertilizers, and raised $1.1 million in a venture capital round from Invest International.
India, Mar 27, 2025 – Grow Indigo, a joint venture between Mahyco Grow and Indigo Ag, is developing biological inputs such as seed treatments, biopesticides, and fertilizers, and raised $10 million in a venture capital round from British International Investment.
United States, Mar 27, 2025 – Ecovative produces whole-cut meat substitutes using mycelium, and raised $11 million in a venture capital round from Advance Albany County Alliance.
Israel, Mar 26, 2025 – Aleph Farms grows cultivated beef steaks from non-genetically engineered cells, and raised $29 million in a venture capital round from L Catterton, Cargill, and DisruptAD.
Germany, Mar 26, 2025 – Differential Bio focuses on making microbial growth predictable, scalable, and cost-effective through robotic lab automation and AI-driven insights. It raised $2.2 million in a pre-venture capital round from Ananda Impact Ventures, ReGen Ventures, Carbon13, Climate Capital, Better Ventures, and CDTM.
France, Mar 25, 2025 – GreenPods is converting conventional farms into regenerative orchards for plant-based proteins and nuts. It raised $2.2 million in a debt round from Sienna Investment Managers.
Norway, Mar 25, 2025 – Catchwise uses data and AI to help commercial fisheries improve fuel efficiency, optimize fishing areas, and reduce carbon emissions. It raised $1.4 million in a pre-venture capital round from Dreamcraft Ventures, Sondo, and Ocean Impact.
Italy, Mar 25, 2025 – Hypesound uses “sonic technology” to enhance the productivity of algae, yeast, and bacteria for sustainable bioproduction, and raised $1.3 million in a pre-venture capital round from Eatable Adventures, CDP Venture Capital, Ulixes Capital Partners, Exor, Athena FH, and NextUp.
Israel, Mar 24, 2025 – Brevel develops microalgae-based protein using fermentation and illuminated photosynthesis to enhance growth rates, and extended an earlier round to raise $25 million from Nevateam Partners, Siddhi Capital, the European Union, The Food Tech Lab, Good Startup, and PVS Investments.
Netherlands, Mar 21, 2025 – Grassa has developed a technology to process grass into products through a natural process of pressing, heating, and filtering, for example, to enhance protein digestibility for cows and reduce nitrogen, phosphate, and methane emissions. It raised $3.9 million in a venture capital round from Brightlands Venture Partners, Fransen Gerrits BV, and Perspectieffonds Gelderland.
Sweden, Mar 20, 2025 – Hooked (Hooked Foods) produces plant-based seafood using ingredients such as soy, pea, wheat, and algae, and raised $0.8 million in a venture capital round from undisclosed investors.
United Kingdom, Mar 19, 2025 – Elaniti predicts crop outcomes based on soil biology. It raised $1.6 million in a pre-venture capital round from Paulig, Planetary Impact Ventures, and Biotope.
Finland, Mar 18, 2025 – SuperGround has developed a novel food processing technology to refine undervalued bones and hard tissues from fish and poultry into food ingredients. It raised $2.73 million in a pre-venture capital round from Hatch Blue.
United States, Mar 23, 2025 – Plenty has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, raising $20.7 million debtor-in-possession financing.
United Kingdom, Mar 13, 2025 – Beta Bugs Limited develops black soldier fly breeds for the commercial insect farming market. It raised $2.7 million in a pre-venture capital round from TRICAPITAL Syndicate.
Netherlands, Mar 13, 2025 – Cano-ela is a food technology company that develops plant-based ingredients from oil-rich seeds, particularly canola (rapeseed). It secured $1.7 million in a pre-venture capital round from Oost NL and Value Factory Ventures.
Indonesia, Mar 13, 2025 – Elevarm specializes in horticulture production, offering agricultural inputs such as seeds, bio-based fertilizers, and environmentally friendly pest control solutions. The company raised $4.3 million in a venture capital round from Intudo Ventures, Insignia Venture Partners, and 500 Global.
Singapore, Mar 12, 2025 – Agros provides solar-powered irrigation systems to smallholder farmers in South-East Asia. It raised $4.3 million in a venture capital round from Wavemaker Impact, Global Innovation Fund, Silverstrand Capital, and Gaia Impact.
United States, Mar 12, 2025 – GigaCrop is a plant biology company focused on improving photosynthesis to increase harvests. The company raised $4.5 million in a pre-venture capital round from Playground Global.
United Kingdom, Mar 11, 2025 – Tiba Tempeh | B-Corp produces traditional fermented soybean products, focusing on organic ingredients and a slow fermentation process to create a high-protein, plant-based food source. The company raised $1.42 million in a pre-venture capital round from Maven Capital Partners.
Portugal, Mar 11, 2025 – SEAentia is a Portuguese startup focused on sustainable aquaculture, producing high-quality corvina using innovative methods and cutting-edge technologies. It raised $17.46 million in a Venture Capital round from Indico Capital Partners, MAR 2030.
Vietnam, Mar 11, 2025 – TECHCOOP offers agricultural inputs and digital solutions such as traceability and management systems for Vietnam’s farm groups. It raised $70 million in a Venture Capital round from TNB Aura, Ascend Vietnam Ventures, BlueOrchard Finance, FMO, AppWorks, Capria Ventures.
Canada, Mar 10, 2025 – Vive Crop Protection develops precision chemistry solutions to optimize crop inputs, leveraging its patented Allosperse delivery technology. It raised $1.1 million in a pre-venture capital round from the Government of Canada.
United States, March 6 – AgZen develops AI-powered precision spraying technology under its brand RealCoverage. The company raised $10 million in a venture capital round from DCVC and Material Impact.
United States, March 6 – Avalo, Inc applies AI-driven genetic analysis to identify key genetic regions for crop traits. It raised $11 million in a venture capital round from Germin8 Ventures, Alexandria, Trust Ventures, Trailhead Capital, At One Ventures, Better Ventures, SOSV, Climate Capital, and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
United States, March 6 – Decibel Bio uses machine learning to analyze plant epigenetics. It raised $12 million in a pre-venture capital round from Leaps by Bayer, Future Ventures, Syngenta Group Ventures and Breakthrough Energy
Finland, March 6 – Solar Foods produces Solein, a protein created through bacterial fermentation. The company secured $10.8 million in grants from Business Finland.
United States, Mar 6, 2025 – GoodSam sources products directly from farmers and processors, prioritizing regenerative farming practices. It raised $9 million in a Venture Capital round from Desert Bloom, One Small Planet, Connecticut Innovations, Alive Ventures, Promotora Social México.
Canada, March 5 – ALT PRO Advantage – Next Gen Pet Nutrition creates pet nutrition products from insects, fungi, plants and algae. The company secured $0.1 million in a pre-venture capital round from Natural Products Canada.
Canada, March 5 – BioSun Solutions Biotechnology specializes in plant-based biostimulants. It secured $19.5 million in a pre-venture capital round from Natural Products Canada.
United States, March 4 – Nitricity is developing a non-thermal plasma reactor. It raised $10 million in a venture capital round from Elemental Impact and Prime Coalition.
Italy, March 3 – Arsenale Bioyards has developed an integrated precision fermentation platform. The company raised $10 million in a pre-venture capital round from Planet A Ventures, Acequia Capital, Plug and Play Tech Center, and Grey Silo Ventures.
Malaysia, March 3 – SEADLING is a seaweed biotech company focused on traceable seaweed-based wellness and performance products. It raised $1 million in a pre-venture capital round from Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, The Yield Lab Asia Pacific, AgFunder, Katapult Ocean, and KUL LOESNINGAR 3.