Swiss AgTech company and Valley partner Ecorobotix will accelerate the growth of its AI powered plant-by-plant recognition and ultra-high precision smart sprayer system after completing its largest capital raise to date.

Ecorobotix, the Swiss manufacturer of ARA, an AI powered plant-by-plant recognition and ultra-high precision smart spraying system, announced the completion of a $52 million (CHF 46 million) funding round, jointly led by AQTON Private Equity GmbH and Cibus Capital LLP, with additional investments from Swisscanto Invest/Swisscanto Growth Fund I, Yara Growth Ventures, Flexstone Partners, and from existing investors including Swisscom Ventures, BASF Venture Capital, 4FOX Ventures, and Verve Ventures. The funding will accelerate Ecorobotix’s geographic expansion across new and existing markets and accelerate new product development.

Stefan Quandt, owner of AQTON PE (co-lead investor), explained his company’s decision to invest in Ecorobotix: “With customers in 15 European markets, these investments will further accelerate Ecorobotix’s rapidly growing business. Ecorobotix will use the new capital to expedite the growth of ARA worldwide, particularly in the Americas. The capital will also help reinforce the company’s mission to radically change agriculture for the better by offering smart, innovative, and sustainable crop treatment solutions. ARA saves farmers money and makes their lives easier, while simultaneously respecting the environment by massively reducing input costs about 70-95%, increasing crop yields, reducing the impact on soil, and preserving biodiversity.”

For this financing Ecorobotix worked with UBS Growth Advisory and Oaklins France as advisors. The capital raised included $48.3M (CHF 43.1M) of new equity and $3.4M (CHF 3M) of new financing facilities thanks to the FOEN Swiss Technology Fund. The new capital will enable Ecorobotix to grow into new markets, expand the product range, and build on the existing commercial success of ARA in Europe. 

About Ecorobotix

Ecorobotix is a Swiss company, Certified B Corporation®, founded to radically change agriculture for the better to respect the environment by reducing chemical/energy use and impact on soil. Ecorobotix developed ARA, a revolutionary plant-by-plant data solution and ultra-high precision crop treatment that reduces the use of herbicides, pesticides, growth treatments and liquid fertilizers by 70-95%, while increasing crop yields by 5% or more and significantly decreasing CO2 emissions. Using AI technology and its unique ultra-high precision spraying system, ARA can recognize individual plants, classify them in real-time, and spray the weeds with an unprecedented precision of 2.4×2.4in (6×6 cm) without affecting the surrounding crops or soil.

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Nestlé has officially inaugurated the Institute of Agricultural Sciences to help advance sustainable food systems by delivering science-based solutions in agriculture.

Speaking at the inauguration, Paul Bulcke, Nestlé Chairman, said: “We have nurtured direct relationships with generations of farmers around the world. To continue providing people with tasty, nutritious and affordable foods, we need to transition together to a more sustainable food system. The new institute will strengthen our expertise and use our global network to support farming communities and protect our planet.”

With global food systems under pressure, there is an urgent need to accelerate new approaches that ensure a sustainable food supply for a growing world population while contributing to farmer livelihoods.

At the new institute, Nestlé experts screen and develop solutions in key focus areas such as plant science, agricultural systems and dairy livestock.

It builds on the company’s existing plant science expertise in coffee and cocoa. Over many years, Nestlé plant scientists have been contributing to Nestlé’s sustainable cocoa and coffee sourcing plans – the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and Nescafé Plan (pdf, 9Mb) – including the recent discovery of more disease and drought-resistant coffee varieties.

Nestlé is now strengthening this expertise and expanding it to further crops, including pulses and grains. The institute is also working with farmers to trial regenerative agriculture practices to improve soil health and encourage biodiversity. In addition, experts explore novel approaches in dairy farming that have potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the areas of cow feed and manure management.

Jeroen Dijkman, Head of Nestlé Institute of Agricultural Sciences, said: “Our goal is to identify the most promising solutions to promote the production of nutritious raw materials while minimizing their environmental impact. We take a holistic approach and look at several factors including impact on yield, carbon footprint, food safety and cost, as well as the viability of scale-up.”

As part of Nestlé’s global R&D network, the institute collaborates closely with external partners including farmers, universities, research organizations, startups and industry partners to assess and develop science-based solutions. The new institute reaffirms the company’s commitment to strengthening Switzerland’s unique innovation ecosystem.

Speaking at the official opening, Valérie Dittli, State Councilor of the Swiss Canton of Vaud, said: “The new institute is strengthening the Canton of Vaud as a center of excellence for research and education in agriculture and nutrition. It also contributes to the efforts that are underway to support farmers in the face of climate change. Agriculture is at the core of quality nutrition and in the Canton of Vaud we can count on an innovative ecosystem that brings together partners including agricultural professionals, schools for higher education and private research centers such as the one from Nestlé.”

In addition to its new facilities at Nestlé Research in Switzerland, the institute incorporates an existing plant science research unit in France, and farms based in Ecuador, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand, as well as partnerships with research farms.

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Yumame Foods AG, a Swiss startup that develops and produces vegan products, has announced the closure of its first funding round, raised in participation with industry partners. The funding will allow the plant-based startup to scale up the production of their products and prepare for market entry in Switzerland.

Minimally processed and locally produced alternatives

Founded in 2021, Yumame Foods develops and produces vegan alternatives to meat. Unlike meat analogues that aim to mimic the real thing, Yumame’s plant-based products have their own unique and delicious taste, are minimally processed and locally produced.

Driven by the need to improve environmental sustainability, health, and animal welfare, consumers worldwide are on the hunt for vegan meat substitutes like Yumame’s. Several industry reports predict that the global market for meat alternatives will experience strong growth in the coming years and reach a multi-billion dollar value by 2030. But despite the momentum in the category, some plant-based meat analogues struggle to attract and maintain consumers, due to concerns about artificial flavours or the lack of a  natural mouthfeel and texture.

Blending fungi and fermentation

Yumame Foods is on a mission to develop healthy, tasty and sustainable foods that fundamentally overcome these limitations. The company blends fungi and fermentation to create vegan alternatives to meat: instead of aiming to simulate animal products, Yumame’s products have their own unique taste and texture, and undergo minimal processing. They are easily cooked with a variety of methods and can be produced in any location using local ingredients. This innovative approach lies in both the product formulation and the production process. The proprietary formulations have been developed in collaboration with chefs and fermentation specialists.

So far, the company has received financial support from Innosuisse and the startup program VentureKick. The new investment round was supported by Italian food company Molino Quaglia S.p.A. and Swiss company Juna Holding A.G.

Next steps

The funds will accelerate the industrialization of Yumame’s consumer products ahead of their launch on the Swiss market.

Founder and CEO Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld says a large proportion of the money will go towards further optimizing the company’s production capacity, as well as the product’s shelf life and nutrient profile. Yumame will also develop further recipes to expand its range. This will happen alongside investment in the communication of the concept and brand, and consumer testing of the product ahead of launch.  

“We’re thrilled to have closed this investment round with the support of leading investors, who have profound knowledge of the food industry and business development,” said Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld. “This achievement is a sign of the confidence in our approach. The funds will enable us to better address consumers’ need for tasty, simple and local foods that are nutritious and convenient to use in place of meat.”

“We are really pleased to support Yumame Foods in this important step into the domestic market and to prove that food can be made fundamentally more sustainable by using local resources and efficient production methods,” said Philipp Balmer, CEO of Juna Holding AG. “It is also a key milestone in terms of the future internationalization of the products and extension into other food categories,” added Lucio Quaglia, CEO of Molino Quaglia S.p.A.

About Yumame Foods

Founded in 2021 and based in Küsnacht in the canton of Zurich, Yumame Foods produces delicious, healthy and sustainable food based on fungi and fermentation. Their aim is to provide consumers with a delicious center-of–the-plate option as an alternative to meat and highly processed meat alternatives. 

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Agrinorm, a Zurich-based AgTech startup, has secured significant financing to further develop their AI-powered software for quality risks management in the fresh produce value chains. The funding round was led by QBIT Capital and supported by renowned SICTIC investors including  Thomas Dübendorfer, Nicolas Cepeda, Cornelia Gut, David Studer and Ronald Strässler.

Good for fruit, even better for business 

Fresh produce traders’ core business is all about taking strategic risks in the areas of quality, price, and volume. The ability to manage those risks effectively is ultimately key to their success. But dealing with fresh produce has always been a challenging task. Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable, and their availability is often dependent on unpredictable weather conditions. Orders are often placed last minute, and buyer requirements can fluctuate based on market trends. Against the backdrop of climate change, inflation, and escalating energy prices, ensuring a steady supply of fresh produce has become more challenging than ever.

The solution

To address these challenges, Agrinorm has developed a unique Artificial Intelligence technology that helps fresh produce traders manage uncertainties associated with product quality. It enables traders to manage their supply chains more efficiently, meet customer expectations, reduce costs, improve returns for growers, and minimize the environmental impact of the fruits and vegetables we consume.

Reducing food waste

45% of all fruits and vegetables produced end up in waste, but at the same time, 3 billion people don’t have access to the food they need to enjoy a healthy diet. In economic terms, wasted fruits and vegetables cost the global economy $450 billion annually.

As the saying goes: “you cannot manage what you cannot measure.” Agrinorm’s technology helps fresh produce companies collect data on food waste, which is a crucial first step towards effective management. Once enough data is accumulated, Agrinorm can help find patterns and evaluate root causes of waste to help clients take more informed decisions and improve their supply chains step by step. By reducing food waste, Agrinorm is contributing to enhancing food security, as well as mitigating carbon emissions and combating climate change.

About Agirnorm

Agirnorm, an AgTech startup headquartered in Zurich, was launched in 2019 by Daria Reisch and Sharon Wulff. Agrinorm is dedicated to reducing complexity of fresh fruit trade by building user centric software to gather, organize and analyze information, for better decisions daily. 

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