Harvested Robotics Bags Funding To Build AI-Powered Laser Weeding Solutions

SUMMARY

The company plans to deploy the fresh proceeds for product development, running product pilots and to further expand its team

Founded in 2023 by Rahul Arepaka and George Mathew, Harvested Robotics builds artificial intelligence-powered laser weeding solutions to protect crops

Arepaka further said that Harvested Robotics is planning to roll out the product by January next year which is expected to reduce the cost of the weeding process by 40-50%

Hyderabad-based AI agritech startup Harvested Robotics has raised INR 5 Cr in a pre-seed funding round led by Arali Ventures, along with participation from Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra and Country Delight cofounder Chakradhar Gade.

The company plans to deploy the fresh proceeds for product development, running product pilots and to further expand its team.

Moneycontrol reported the development first.

Founded in 2023 by Rahul Arepaka and George Mathew, Harvested Robotics builds artificial intelligence-powered laser weeding solutions to protect crops.

To note, weeding is a farming practice traditionally done by labourers manually or by using chemicals to safeguard farm fields from weeds and diseases and ensure healthy harvest.

“We are building laser weeding technology for tractors which uses AI to detect weeds using cameras that have an AI model on it. We use high power lasers which are controlled by robotic actuators to shoot at weeds while the tractors are moving like in real time,” Arepaka told Inc42.

“The laser technology requires one person to drive a tractor instead of two-three people indulging in the traditional time taking method of removing weeds,” he added.

Arepaka further said that Harvested Robotics is planning to roll out the product by January next year which is expected to reduce the cost of the weeding process by 40-50%.

Speaking about the pricing for the technical tool, he said that the pricing is yet to be finalised but may cost around INR 10 Lakh.

The development comes at a time when India’s agricultural ecosystem is undergoing a paradigm shift, driven by the integration of advanced digital technologies like AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), drones and data analytics.

The sector counts the likes of Agrostar, Arya.ag, DeHaat, Fasal, Kisan Konnect among others disrupting the agritrch space.

The country’s agriculture market is expected to reach $580.82 Bn by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.9% during this period. As per Inc42, the startups in this space have secured more than $2.4 Bn since 2014, as per Inc42’s analysis.

Also, agritech startups have been gaining funds to back their tech abilities.

For instance, in January, omnichannel farm-to-fork startup Kisankonnect bagged $4.5 Mn in a Series A funding round led by Mistry Ventures.

Prior to that, Chennai-based agritech startup WayCool raised a funding of INR 38.2 Cr led by Trifecta Capital, along with participation from Alteria Capital and Stride Ventures.