Orchard Robotics Raises $22M for Farm Vision AI

From Orchard to Algorithm: Orchard Robotics Secures $22 Million Series A

Charlie Wu’s inspiration stems from his familial roots; his grandparents were apple farmers in China. This background fueled his vision to integrate technology with agricultural practices during his studies in computer science at Cornell University, a leading institution in agricultural research.

As Wu shared with TechCrunch, his interactions with leading fruit science professors revealed a significant gap in the industry. Even the most extensive farms within the nation often lack comprehensive knowledge regarding the actual state of their growing crops.

Subsequently, Wu made the decision to leave Cornell, accepting a Thiel Fellowship, and in 2022 initiated the development of Orchard Robotics. This startup focuses on utilizing camera technology and artificial intelligence to provide fruit growers with more precise crop management capabilities.

Securing Growth Capital

On Wednesday, Orchard Robotics announced the successful completion of a $22 million Series A funding round. This investment was spearheaded by Quiet Capital and Shine Capital, with further participation from existing investors like General Catalyst and Contrary.

Addressing a Critical Need in Agriculture

While the application of computer vision to specialty crops isn’t a novel concept, Wu emphasizes that even the largest U.S. farms continue to rely on manual sampling for crucial operational decisions.

Because farmers typically examine only a fraction of their total crops, their assessments of healthy fruit yields can be considerably inaccurate.

“Without a clear understanding of crop conditions, determining appropriate chemical application rates, labor needs for harvesting, and potential sales volumes becomes significantly challenging,” Wu explained.

How Orchard Robotics Works

Orchard’s system employs compact cameras that attach to tractors or other farm vehicles. These cameras capture high-resolution images of fruit health as the vehicle traverses the field.

AI then analyzes these images, evaluating fruit characteristics such as size, color, and overall health condition.

The collected data is then transmitted to Orchard’s cloud-based software platform. This platform serves as a centralized hub for informed decision-making, identifying areas needing additional fertilization, pruning, or thinning.

Expanding Reach and Applications

Orchard’s technology is currently deployed in several of the country’s largest apple and grape farms. The startup has recently broadened its offerings to include blueberries, cherries, almonds, pistachios, citrus fruits, and strawberries.

Competitive Landscape

Orchard Robotics is not operating in isolation. Competitors in the AI-powered specialty crop image analysis space include Bloomfield Robotics, acquired by Kubota last year, as well as early-stage companies Vivid Robotics and Green Atlas.

Future Vision and Market Potential

Wu acknowledges the current market for fruit and vegetable data is valued at $1.5 billion. However, he anticipates that ongoing advancements in AI will enable the technology to make autonomous decisions, thereby expanding Orchard’s product portfolio.

Wu draws a parallel to Flock Safety, a public safety company now valued at $7.5 billion, which has evolved from license plate recognition to encompass gunshot detection and video surveillance over the past eight years.

“Our goal extends beyond simply data collection,” Wu stated. “We aim to gather the data, construct an operating system based on it, and ultimately manage all farm workflows, significantly increasing our market potential.”