In a groundbreaking development for agricultural technology, Orchard Robotics, a startup founded by a Thiel Fellow and Cornell University dropout, has raised $22 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round.
This significant investment, announced on September 3, 2025, is led by Quiet Capital and Shine Capital, with continued support from prominent investors like General Catalyst and Contrary, bringing the company's total funding to over $25 million.
Transforming Agriculture with AI-Powered Vision
The San Francisco-based company is pioneering the use of truck-mounted cameras and AI to collect and analyze critical data on crop health, particularly for fruit trees.
Founded in 2022 as a Cornell University spinout, Orchard Robotics has quickly emerged as a leader in precision agriculture, building on earlier seed funding of $3.8 million to refine its innovative technology.
Their vehicle-mounted, AI-powered systems offer farmers real-time insights, enabling precise crop management that can significantly boost yield and reduce waste in an industry often challenged by labor shortages and environmental pressures.
A Vision for Sustainable Farming
Historically, agriculture has relied on manual labor and outdated methods for monitoring crop health, often leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for intervention.
Orchard Robotics aims to address these challenges by turning existing farm equipment into AI-driven data collectors, a move that could redefine how farmers operate in the face of climate change and growing global food demand.
The impact of this technology could be profound, potentially securing America’s food supply by making farming more resilient and sustainable, as the company envisions scaling its solutions nationwide.
The Road Ahead for Orchard Robotics
Looking to the future, the startup plans to expand its reach beyond orchards, adapting its farm vision AI to other crop types and integrating with broader agricultural systems for comprehensive farm management.
With endorsements from high-profile investors like F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg and Yext founder Howard Lerman, Orchard Robotics is poised to accelerate its mission of building the AI farmer of tomorrow.
As the agricultural sector increasingly embraces technology, the company’s innovations could set a new standard, inspiring a wave of digital transformation in one of the world’s oldest industries.
This $22 million funding round marks a pivotal moment, signaling strong investor confidence in Orchard Robotics’ potential to lead the charge in smart farming solutions.
Maria Lourdes
