Home
Others
Others News
Bill Gates' Green Tech Fund Bets on Silicon Valley Farming Robots

Bill Gates' Green Tech Fund Bets on Silicon Valley Farming Robots

Iron Ox uses robots that consume 90 percent less water than traditional farms..

By Reuters | Updated: 22 September 2021 16:18 IST

Bill Gates' Green Tech Fund Bets on Silicon Valley Farming Robots

Iron Ox's funding round was led by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

A self-driving robot named Grover moves pallets of Genovese Basil
Agriculture plays an important role in California's economy
Iron Ox grows Thai basil and strawberries

Iron Ox, a Silicon Valley startup that believes robots can grow produce more sustainably, said it raised $50 million (roughly Rs. 370 crores) in a funding round led by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Iron Ox uses robots that are integrated with a hydroponic system consuming 90 percent less water than traditional farms, said CEO Brandon Alexander.

The company is putting that system to work at a 10,000-square foot (930 square metre) greenhouse in Gilroy, California, 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 said. 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 usage is increasingly in the spotlight. The last major drought in 2012-2017 cut irrigation for farmers, forced strict household conservation measures and stoked deadly wildfires.

Iron Ox grows Thai basil and strawberries and is working on cilantro, parsley, and tomatoes. The company is also building a new 535,000-square-foot greenhouse in Lockhart, Texas, 30 miles (48km) south of Austin.

Alexander said hydroponics - saving water by growing plants without soil - 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 said.

The funding round included investors from Crosslink Capital, R7 Partners, and Pathbreaker Ventures, among others. Iron Ox declined to comment on its valuation.

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, we discuss iPhone 13, new iPad and iPad mini, and Apple Watch Series 7 — and what they mean to the Indian market. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.