Issaquah-based rock-clearing startup TerraClear has raised $15 million.
The 7-year-old company, which announced the funding Monday, makes a rock-picking robot and cage that attaches to farm equipment like tractors.
TerraClear noted that it spent last year fixing mechanical and software challenges. In the upcoming year, the company said, it wants to widely distribute its products and services to farmers by growing its sales team and boosting its distribution partnerships.
“Our success is in developing innovative yet practical solutions that solve farmers’ problems. The additional funds enable us to move faster to meet demand," TerraClear President Trevor Thompson said in a news release.
TerraClear's machine can pick up 400 rocks per hour, according to the company. The aim is to save on labor costs and reduce equipment damage.
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TerraClear also offers a rock-picking service where a TerraClear provider removes the rocks during a time window that works for the client. Its rock-mapping service, meanwhile, shows farmers where the rocks are in their fields, allowing them to more efficiently remove them.
Thompson is a former Navy SEAL officer, according to his LinkedIn page, which notes he spent close to 14 years in the Navy. Brent Frei, the company's co-founder and CEO, also co-founded Bellevue-based work software company Smartsheet. Frei is leaving Smartsheet's board in June. Frei also spent two years at the Bellevue-based research and patent firm Intellectual Ventures from 2005 to 2007.
TerraClear disclosed the funding round in a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing lists Matt McIlwain, managing director at Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group, as a director at TerraClear. Madrona has invested in big names like Amazon, Redfin and Rover. The firm led a $25 million round for TerraClear in 2021.
