Seattle-based agriculture tech startup Carbon Robotics has landed an investment from NVentures, the venture arm of computer chip giant Nvidia Corp. (Nasdaq: NVDA).
A Carbon Robotics spokesperson said the companies aren't disclosing the size of the investment, but Carbon Robotics has raised $85 million to date. The company raised a $43 million Series C round in 2023.
“With this investment, and using the power of AI, we can help farmers create farms and food systems of the future that are more productive, efficient, healthy and profitable,” Paul Mikesell, CEO and founder of Carbon Robotics, said in a news release.
Carbon Robotics, founded in 2018, makes a robot called the LaserWeeder. The machine uses lasers to kill weeds, and it's meant to replace hand weeding, spraying or mechanical weeding. The robot can run 24/7. It uses artificial intelligence, deep learning and computer vision to distinguish between weeds and crops. According to Carbon Robotics, the LaserWeeder can eliminate 5,000 weeds per minute.
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Nvidia, founded in 1993, makes computer chips that have powered innovation in cloud computing, gaming and artificial intelligence. The Santa Clara, California-based company generated $60.9 billion in revenue during its fiscal 2024, which ended in late January, up 126% year over year.
Carbon Robotics said in the release the LaserWeeder uses 24 of Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs). GPUs are an advanced type of computer chip that enable advances in artificial intelligence and gaming. Carbon Robotics raised a $27 million Series B round in 2021. Its other investors include Revolution Growth, Sozo Ventures, Anthos Capital, Bellevue-based Fuse, Ignition Partners, Liquid2 and Voyager Capital.
In December of 2023, when the company finished adding to its Series C round, Carbon Robotics said it was looking to develop new products beyond the LaserWeeder.
NVentures focuses on "technology visionaries solving complex problems to reshape our world," according to its website. It has invested in companies like the robotics startup Machina Labs and the surgical robot company Moon Surgical.
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