Farmblox (a farm automation system connecting equipment and in-field sensors to the internet so farmers can see everything from their phone or computer and take action) announced that it has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to propel expansion and scale into new markets such as vineyards and orchards. This oversubscribed funding round was led by Hyperplane, with participation from Slow Ventures, MHS Capital, and Service Provider Capital.
Farmblox has grown rapidly since launching in January 2023, with 55 live farm customers covering over 14,000 acres across the US and Canada. And Farmblox’s farm automation platform has grown 10 times in the last year as customers quickly adopt the technology at the forefront of addressing critical challenges posing significant threats to our global food supply.
US farmers spend up to 75% of their time walking the farm to look for problems, which is a significant market opportunity due to labor costs. Farmblox uses a sensor ecosystem and AI, driving savings of up to 50% in labor costs and generating new revenue streams for modern farming. Monitoring remote farmland in all weather conditions, Farmblox gives farmers a simple dashboard to identify operational issues like irrigation leaks, weather risks, or equipment failure to operate more efficiently.
Farmers oversee the farm’s status remotely through a mobile app or computer, resulting in 25,000 fewer miles walked per year.
At the heart of Farmblox’s innovation is an ecosystem of farm automation building blocks. These tools enable farmers to create customizable automation solutions tailored to their specific needs. Farmblox’s system includes an array of plug-and-play sensors and controllers, which connect to a universal monitor box. And the universal monitor box delivers power and wireless connectivity by connecting to the Farmblox base station network, linking the entire setup to the internet – even while in remote locations. This offers farmers with a comprehensive, real-time overview of their operations and is adaptable and customizable to various crop types, farm sizes, and operations.
Starting by detecting leaks in tubes on maple syrup farms, Farmblox is now expanding to monitor irrigation systems in vineyards to address water scarcity problems and comply with water regulations. Farmblox offers detailed data on soil moisture, soil carbon dioxide, soil temperature, leak detection, tank and silo levels, ambient temperatures, freeze risk, water usage, irrigation pressure, pump conditions, and weather conditions.
KEY QUOTES:
“Farmblox’s mission is to develop a practical farm-scale digital platform for producers to reduce labor by helping them automate their farm however they need with simple, customizable tools. We focus on immediate real-world benefits to farmers who are hard hit by labor shortages.”
- Nathan Rosenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Farmblox
“At Hyperplane, we are thrilled to support Farmblox in its mission to revolutionize agriculture and transform how millions of farmers worldwide operate. Their adoption by farmers across the US and Canada is a testament to the team’s tenacity and unique approach to addressing the most critical challenges in modern agriculture. Farmblox tackles labor issues and water scarcity head-on and enhances monitoring and sustainability practices, which are vital for our planet’s future.”
- Vivjan Mytro, Founding and Managing Partner of Hyperplane
