Food security

Ag Tech Startups Are Invading The Enormous Farm Industry

We used CB Insights data to analyze ag tech trends, which we define as technology increasing the efficiency of farms, in the form of software, sensors, aerial-based data, and internet-based distribution channels (marketplaces).

2014 saw a jump in deals and dollars going into the space, with more than $170M invested across 75 deals. One possibility is that investors saw the value in ag tech after the acquisition of The Climate Corporation by Monsanto for $1.1B at the end of 2013. The Climate Corporation also buoyed funding numbers in the prior years, with $40M+ deals in both 2011 and 2012. 2015 has seen a slowdown in the number of deals, but is on track to exceed the previous year’s funding, with rounds into farm management software startup Granular and urban agriculture technology company AeroFarms.