Bonsai Robotics secures $15M to advance AI solutions for ag – The Packer

Bonsai Robotics Inc., a developer of physical artificial-intelligence solutions for agriculture applications, says it raised $15 million in Series A funding.

The new funding will enable Bonsai to continue enhancing its software capabilities, expanding its physical AI platform and data set, driving additional original equipment manufacturers partnerships and accelerating commercialization efforts, according to a news release.

“We have made significant progress building our AI model and data set for autonomous orchard management since our seed round of funding a year ago, so this additional funding is strong validation of the incredible work our team has accomplished and our future growth prospects,” said Tyler Niday, co-founder and CEO for Bonsai Robotics. “Additionally, this capital will allow us to continue to expand our partnerships with manufacturers and growers by delivering innovative physical AI technology solutions that address the most pressing challenges in agriculture today.”

With its flagship product, Visionsteer, Bonsai says it provides technology designed to meet grower needs, offering data insights, crop analysis, notifications, job planning and autonomous vehicle control. The company is currently partnered with multiple equipment manufacturers and has deployed over 40 units with its integrated autonomous solution for tree nut orchard applications both in the U.S. and Australia.

Furthermore, the company has collected data from operations on over 500,000 acres, enabling it to provide leading physical AI technology that is helping a variety of orchard growers reduce operating and capital equipment costs, increase yields and gain unparalleled insights not available before, the release said.

Bison Ventures led the oversubscribed round with participation from a new investor, Cibus Capital, and existing investors Acre Venture Partners, Congruent Ventures, Fall Line Capital, E14 Fund, SNR and Serra Ventures.

“Bonsai represents exactly what we look for at Bison — founders who combine deep technical expertise with industry knowledge to solve critical challenges,” said Tom Biegala, founding partner for Bison. “Their vision-based approach to agricultural automation has the potential to transform how specialty crops are grown, addressing the urgent labor and efficiency challenges facing growers while building toward a more sustainable future for agriculture.”