Farm Robots Are Computing Big Time for Bill Gates’ Green Tech Fund
As some parts of North America struggle under a crippling drought, a California startup (Iron Ox) that believes robots can grow produce more sustainably has raised more than $50 million in a funding round led by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
Iron Ox uses robots that are integrated with a hydroponic system consuming 90% less water than traditional farms, says CEO Brandon Alexander.
The company is putting that system to work at a 10,000-sq. foot greenhouse in Gilroy, CA, where a self-driving robot named Grover moves pallets of Genovese basil and a robotic arm system lifts the pallets for inspection. Sensors check the water for nitrogen and acidity levels for healthy growth.
“Then they say, ‘What is missing? What does that plant need that we’re not giving it’,” Alexander says. Any water not used can be pumped back into the system to be reused later.
Agriculture plays an important role in California’s economy, but water use is increasingly in the spotlight. The last major drought cut irrigation for farmers, forced strict household conservation measures, and stoked deadly wildfires.
Iron Ox grows Genovese basil and strawberries and is working on cilantro, parsley, and tomatoes. The company also is building a new 535,000-sq. foot greenhouse in Lockhart, TX.
Alexander said hydroponic production is just one piece of the puzzle for future farming.
“To really eliminate waste, to really get to that next level of sustainability and impact, we have to rethink the entire grow process,” he says.
The funding round included investors from Crosslink Capital, R7 Partners, and Pathbreaker Ventures, among others.
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