Ontario-based agtech startup Upside Robotics, which develops solar-powered autonomous robots to deliver precise nutrients to crops, has secured $7.5 million in seed funding led by Plural, with participation from Garage Capital and the founders of Clearpath Robotics.
- Launched in 2024 by Jana Tian and Sam Dugan, Upside Robotics builds solar-powered autonomous robots that optimize nutrient delivery for corn crops. The machines navigate crop rows autonomously, applying precise doses of fertilizer and nutrients based on live soil, weather, and plant growth data. Each robot covers up to 100 acres per unit while minimizing soil compaction, recharging and refilling at solar-powered base stations for continuous operation.
- Proprietary algorithms analyze data from the robots to adjust application rates and timing in real time, reducing nitrogen waste by up to 70% and saving farmers around $150 per acre while supporting higher yields. The technology addresses inefficiencies in traditional farming, including over-application, limited data, and soil damage from heavy machinery.
- Upside Robotics has developed multiple generations of robots through field testing, currently operating across more than 3,000 acres in Ontario, Canada, and preparing for expansion into the US corn belt.
“Traditionally, the way the fertilizer has been applied, only 30% of the total fertilizer gets taken by the crop, so a majority of it gets wasted. Farmers usually do one application per season, so they have to front-load a lot of the fertilizer. But the crops need the fertilizer during the season as well. We knew there was that problem that a lot of our growers really wanted different solutions to," claims Jana Tian, co-founder of Upside Robotics.
Details of the deal
- Upside Robotics aims to advance its solar-powered autonomous robots and AI software. The funding will enable the company to serve its growing waitlist of farms and support expansion into the US corn belt, increasing adoption of its precision fertilization technology to improve farm efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
"As capital floods into AI software with limited defensibility and flashy humanoid robots, Upside is applying these technologies to a sector that urgently needs it, in a way that already works. It helps farmers produce more food with fewer inputs, improves environmental outcomes and makes a difficult profession sustainable for the next generation," explains Carina Namih from Plural.
