)
Regional Queensland-based agricultural technology company SwarmFarm Robotics has raised $30 million to accelerate growth in North America for its pioneering technology which is delivering a new automated farming system that enhances productivity and reduces environmental harm.
The funding round was led by Belgian “evergreen” fund Edaphon and attracted new investments from Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and QIC.
SwarmFarm Robotics, which was founded in 2015 and is based in Gindie near Emerald in Queensland’s Central Highlands, has developed a farming system of commercial autonomous robots that the company says “untethers productivity from machine size”.
While progress in agriculture has been measured in horsepower and steel – namely bigger tractors, bigger sprayers and bigger harvesters – SwarmFarm says this has also led to more soil compaction, higher costs and less flexibility for farmers.
By designing autonomy from the ground up through a fully integrated platform, SwarmFarm says it gives farmers the ability to scale productivity without scaling machine size.
SwarmFarm robots are already operating in commercial fields across Australia and North America, while its SwarmConnect ecosystem allows agtech partners and short-line machinery manufacturers to build and deploy new applications that are fully integrated within the SwarmFarm platform.
“The future of agriculture isn’t bigger machines or bolt-on driverless kits,” says SwarmFarm CEO and co-founder Andrew Bate.
“It’s integrated autonomy - technology designed from the ground up to work with farmers, not around them.
“With this raise, we’re not just building more robots; we’re building a new farming system that helps farmers do more with less, while preserving the productivity of their land for future generations.”
Edaphon, the lead investor in the $30 million capital raise, was established to support solutions that are both commercial and deliver “meaningful environmental impact”. The venture capital group’s portfolio is heavily weighted towards the agtech sector globally.
The raise was also supported by SwarmFarm’s existing investors, including Tenacious Ventures, Emmertech, Tribe Global Ventures, Access Capital and GrainInnovate, the Grains Research and Development Corporation venture capital fund managed by Artesian.
“SwarmFarm is setting the global standard for integrated autonomy in agriculture,” says Edaphon’s Joost Van Laer, adding that the technology helps both the farmer and the environment.
“Their deeply rooted connection to on-farm reality creates a level of trust few companies achieve - and it is that farmer-first spirit that truly sets them apart.
“We consider SwarmFarm the dark horse in the race for autonomy, as we believe their breakthrough approach positions them to lead the future of autonomous farming.”
Farmers currently have three options for autonomy - bolt-on kits that retrofit existing tractors to drive themselves; closed OEM (original equipment manufacturer) systems where autonomy is locked inside proprietary platforms; and niche robots that SwarmFarm says are “one-trick ponies” that tackle only one specific task, often as standalone tools.
SwarmFarm’s integrated autonomy system delivers lightweight autonomous platforms, combined with an open ecosystem of applications, giving farmers the freedom to innovate, adapt and design their own farming systems.
The company says this approach goes beyond self-driving to redefine how productivity is created on the farm.
“As a farmer, what excites me about SwarmFarm isn’t just the robots - it’s the freedom they create,” says Tom Coggan, a farmer and partner at Coggan Farms.
“We can design our farming system around what’s best for our land and business, not around the size of the machine.
“Working with the team at SwarmFarm, we’re reducing compaction, lowering costs and opening up new ways of farming that simply weren’t possible before.
“It’s technology that works with us, not against us, and it’s helping secure the productivity of our farm for the next generation.”
The $30 million capital raise will drive further growth for SwarmFarm in North America, as well as expand its team and fuel further development of its partner ecosystem.
“We’re backing the next generation of Australian made agricultural technology that gives farmers a smarter, cleaner way to manage their land,” says Malcolm Thornton, the head of growth capital at new investor CEFC.
“SwarmFarm’s platform transforms how food is grown, using less fuel, fewer chemicals and minimal soil disruption.
“SwarmFarm’s technology represents an important step forward that gives farmers new tools and practices to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture.”
SwarmFarm notes that its technology has overseen 220,000 robot operation hours on more than two million hectares of commercial operations which has saved 5.2 million tonnes of chemicals.
“The robots have proved successful in reducing herbicide costs and equipment outlay, while reducing overall emissions associated with traditional farming practice,” says Thornton.
“SwarmFarm’s innovation offers a commercially viable, scalable solution - and that’s exactly what the Powering Australia Technology Fund was built to support. We're supporting a company with a strong track record that’s now poised for its next stage of growth.”
)
