France-based Agreenculture will expand production and commercial availability of its automation kits following a €6 million ($7 million) Series A raise. The company ultimately hopes to make autonomy more widely available for farmers through these kits.
Why it matters:
Europe is one of the largest markets for agriculture automation and robotics; a severe labor shortage on farms drives much of that growth.
- Agricultural labor in the EU has declined 2.6% per year on average in the recent past.
- Just 11% of farms in the EU are run by those under 40.
- Agreenculture says its ready-to-use autonomy kits accelerate deployment of autonomy in the fields, saving time and increasing productivity.
How it works:
Farmers can install Agreenculture’s hardware/software autonomy kit onto existing farm machinery such as tractors and sprayers in addition to off-road vehicles.
- The company already partners with some of the world’s best-known agricultural machinery manufacturers, including Pellenc and Kubota, among others.
- The combined hardware and software automate a range of different tasks, from weeding to spraying to harrowing.
- CEO Christophe Aubé says the company’s setup is fast install and easy to maintain relative to other autonomous solutions.
- The system is already certified in the EU for use without local supervision thanks to a “safe geofencing” feature that keeps machines and implements within a pre-defined area.
- Machines are currently deployed in several European countries as well as in Japan.
The kit “brings full autonomy to the vehicle but remains an additional component,” notes Aubé. This allows users “to install it quicker, maintain it more easily, and allows software and hardware updates at higher speed than the tractor or machine using it.”
What investors say:
Multistage VC firm Supernova Invest and food/ag-focused firms Unilis and Future Food Fund participated in the Series A round.
“Autonomous tractors and machines should not be seen simply as a way to relieve farmers of the burden of driving, but as a unique opportunity to change the way farming is done,” explained Jeroen Kimmels, managing partner at Future Food Fund.
“Agreenculture stands at the forefront of autonomous farming technologies,” added Supernova Invest partner Romain Sautrau. “Their certified, safety-first approach is a decisive advantage for manufacturers seeking reliable automation solutions. We are proud to support a team whose technology is poised to become a market
standard in Europe and beyond.”
Jean-François Hurel, Director of Unilis Agtech said his firm supports “technologies that enable producers to spend more time on higher-value agronomic decisions and market opportunities – while safely and reliably
automating repetitive tasks when it makes sense.
“Beyond responding to labour constraints, Agreenculture contributes to the productive and sustainable transition of agricultural operations.”
