TerraClear Raises $25M to Revolutionize Rock Picking with Robotics

The Emerging Role of Robotics in Rock Removal for Agriculture

While agricultural robotics often focuses on harvesting and weeding, the challenge of rock removal is frequently overlooked. Despite this, rocks pose a significant problem for farmers, potentially causing substantial damage to equipment due to their size and weight.

Brent Frei, CEO of TerraClear, highlighted the pervasiveness of this issue, stating that he has personally experienced it throughout his career. He noted that over 400 million acres of land globally are awaiting an affordable and efficient solution for rock clearing.

TerraClear's Robotic Solution

TerraClear has developed an automated robotic system designed to address this need. This system is capable of collecting up to 400 rocks each hour, handling stones weighing as much as 300 pounds.

The company, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, initially secured $6 million in funding in 2019 to broaden its capabilities. Today, TerraClear has announced a further $25 million in Series A funding.

Funding and Future Plans

Madrona Venture Group is leading this funding round, bringing the company’s total funding to $38 million. These funds will be allocated to increasing production and expanding sales operations for the coming year.

Furthermore, TerraClear intends to grow its team to support this expansion. Currently, the Rock Picker robot is available for preorder.

The system integrates with mapping technologies and utilizes data from drone systems. AI is employed to locate substantial rocks, enabling the robot to be strategically deployed for clearing operations.

This approach offers a significant improvement over traditional, labor-intensive methods of field preparation.