cannot be accused ai/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Bonsai Robotics of lack of focus. The Bay Area-based company is starting with trees, specifically walnuts. Like most labor-intensive sectors these days, farms have suffered from a profound lack of available workers, so the startup began striking deals with OEMs to equip heavy farm equipment with its autonomy. based on vision.
This morning, Bonsai announced a $10.5 million seed round, led by Acre Venture Partners and including E14, Congruent, Serra Ventures, Fall Line Capital, SNR Ventures and Andros. The seed round brings the company’s total raising to $13.5 million.
When asked about the high price tag of a seed round, founder and CEO Tyler Niday told TechCrunch: “Robotics companies require more capital earlier in their lifecycle to get to market, as We have a product and sales model that is more complex than the average SaaS company. —We have observed that many robotics companies fail due to lack of capital in the early stages of their life cycle and we are determined to be here for the long term.”
Niday says the funding will go towards developing Bonsai’s research and development and market strategy as it focuses on OEMs and distributors. With a staff of less than 20 people, some of the funds will also go towards expanding its team.
The first product to use Bonsai technology is Shockwave X, produced by Orchard Machinery Corporation. OMC’s history dates back to 1961, when it began producing hydraulic tree shakers for harvesting prunes. Bonsai’s system effectively converts OMC’s Shockwave line into autonomous harvesters.
“OMC is currently accepting initial orders for the Bonsai autonomy service on ShockwaveX,” says Niday. “We have been collecting data for the 14 months we have been in existence as a company, which meant that upon delivery of the first ShockwaveX we were running the autonomy system within two weeks, with a special thanks to Trinitas Farming for providing us with a garden where we could test with security to the absolute limit.”
Between the aforementioned labor shortage and the aging population of farmers, agricultural technology is relatively low-hanging fruit for automation. The other key benefit is that autonomous farm equipment doesn’t have to represent a fraction of the variables of a self-driving car. Additionally, if the system does not do exactly what it is supposed to do, the risk of serious bodily injury is much lower than on a busy city street.
Niday says the company has also started demonstrating a tractor system using its technology. Meanwhile, the second ShockwaveX just rolled off the assembly line.
Bonsai declined to reveal its valuation.
