ecoRobotix Raises $10.7m Series B Led by BASF, Capagro to Take Weeding Robot Across Europe

ecoRobotix, a Swiss farm robotics startup, has raised $10.7 million in Series B funding in a round led by European agrifood tech investor Capagro and the venture arm of German chemicals business BASF. ecoRobotix was founded in 2011 with a mission to develop, produce and sell innovative farming machines that require low energy and that reduce the negative ecological impact of modern agriculture. Its first product is a solar-powered autonomous robot weeder that targets the application of herbicide based on GPS and sensors that enable it to detect weeds between crop rows. “In addition to our historic investment partners, we are glad to see the interest of new European investors such as Capagro and BASF Venture Capital, who will contribute significantly to achieving our market access objectives,” he added. In the US, ag robotics produced one of agtech’s biggest exits when John Deere purchased Blue River Technology for $305 million last summer.