Though it’s a relatively new concept, the use of aerial imagery in agriculture has continued to grow over the last several years, and with growth comes evolution. There have been some significant changes in how imagery is captured and processed, for example. Everything from satellites and drones to spectral and thermal sensors are in use to provide farmers across the United States, and the globe, with reliable crop insights.
Oakland-based agritech company Ceres Imaging has had a hand in the game since 2014 and now the startup is raking in $23 million to double down on its crop-saving mission. On Wednesday the company announced the arrival of its Series C, led by XTX Ventures and REMUS Capital.
With Ceres, farmers can identify common irrigation problems before they’re visible to the naked eye, according to the company.
Ceres captures crop images from above with cameras mounted on fixed-wing aircraft. Within 48 hours of a Ceres flight assessment, the startup delivers specific recommendations to farmers about how to increase their crop yields, according to the company.
“We know AI is the future of farming when it comes to maximum efficiency, sustainability and profitability across an operation,” Ashwin Madgavkar, founder and CEO at Ceres Imaging, said in a statement.
The platform also offers growers a virtual space to track their progress and measure the impact of their management decisions.
“Coupling AI with remote sensing technologies allows agriculture stakeholders to analyze their nutrient and water management in ways that wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago,” Madgavkar continued.
Ceres plans to put the fresh capital to use by investing in the development of its platform. As the startup continues to scale, Ceres also plans to expand its team. The company is currently on the lookout for a full stack engineer, sales development representative and sales development specialist.
Ceres Imaging has raised $58.5 million in venture capital financing to date.
Additional investors Insight Partners and B37 Ventures participated in the round.
