Welcome back, listeners! In today's episode, we'll dive into the latest strides in AgTech, featuring innovative irrigation technologies protecting crops from heatwaves, major funding rounds like BinSentry's $50M Series C and Saga Robotics' £8.4M expansion, plus breakthrough partnerships in indoor strawberry propagation and AI-driven desert farming. Let's get started!

Here’s a Quick Snapshot of What’s Making Headlines:

1. AgTech Highlights: New Funding, Initiative & More!
2. Plant Science Updates: New Investment, Initiative & More!
3. Plant Science Updates: New Investment, Initiative & More!
4. CEA Updates: New Partnership, Acquisition & More!
5. Other Updates: New Initiative, Funding Round & More!
6. Upcoming AgTech Events, Conferences & Webinars

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Welcome to another episode of AgTech Digest, your go-to source for the latest in agricultural technology. In today's episode, we're diving into exciting developments transforming modern agriculture. We'll explore innovative irrigation solutions like Orbia Netafim's heat-protecting sprinkler technology, examine significant funding rounds including Saga Robotics' £8.4M expansion and BinSentry's $50M Series C, and discover groundbreaking partnerships in indoor strawberry propagation. We'll also cover plant science advances from nematode-resistant soybeans in Brazil to DNA-based botanical identification services, plus controlled environment agriculture developments spanning AI-driven farming in Kuwait to strategic acquisitions in automated agricultural technologies. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started.

Revolutionary agricultural technologies are transforming crop protection and farm management through innovative solutions that address both climate challenges and operational efficiency demands. To begin with, Orbia Netafim has launched Mega-PULSAR sprinkler technology to protect orchards from heatwaves, designed specifically for high-value subtropical crops like avocado, mango, and lychee. The system distributes uniform pulses of low-volume water throughout the canopy to reduce temperature and raise humidity, with its modular, wide-spacing design reducing water use, labor, and maintenance costs while early field installations show improved humidity and temperature control. Building on this innovation trend, Saga Robotics has secured £8.4M in equity capital to expand deployment of its Thorvald autonomous platform for grapevine and strawberry production, with the funding round led by Praesidium Agri-FoodTech, Aker, and Nysnø Climate Investments. The capital will accelerate rollout in the UK, where Thorvald supports 13 major strawberry growers, and the platform also operates on more than 1,300 acres of vineyards in the US. In parallel developments, BinSentry, specializing in AI-powered sensors for the animal feed supply chain, has raised $50M in Series C funding led by Lead Edge Capital, with funding supporting global expansion after doubling revenue in the past year while maintaining a 0% customer churn rate. Their solar-powered sensors provide real-time monitoring of on-farm feed levels with 99% accuracy, replacing manual inventory checks and helping prevent feed outages. Complementing these advances, AgEagle Aerial Systems has released the RedEdge-P Green multispectral camera to improve agricultural productivity, providing high-resolution, data-rich imaging for agronomists, researchers, and environmental managers while enabling data-driven decisions to enhance yields, reduce costs, and conserve natural resources. The NDAA-compliant camera is compatible with multiple drone platforms and ready for immediate adoption by growers, researchers, and environmental agencies.

Breakthrough partnerships are revolutionizing controlled environment propagation, specifically targeting the development of sophisticated year-round indoor growing systems for premium strawberry varieties. Notably, Artechno, Philips Horticulture, and Limgroup have partnered to develop a year-round, indoor propagation model for F1 hybrid strawberry plants, with the AVF+ system enabling controllable, clean, uniform, and accelerated strawberry propagation with flexible configurations. Central to this collaboration, Limore One, Limgroup's F1 hybrid strawberry variety offers stable yield, uniformity, and is suited for protected cultivation, while Signify's Philips GrowWise lighting system provides phase-specific light recipes to improve crop performance and quality. Ultimately, this partnership supports breeders, propagators, growers, and retailers in addressing demand for consistent, high-quality strawberry varieties through advanced controlled environment solutions.

Transformative plant science innovations are addressing critical agricultural challenges through advanced breeding techniques, precision nutrient management, and cutting-edge identification technologies that promise to reshape crop production. First and foremost, BASF, Corteva Agriscience, and M.S. Technologies are introducing a nematode-resistant soybean trait in Brazil, targeting root lesion and soybean cyst nematodes with trials showing over 90% control of root lesion nematodes. The commercial launch is expected late this decade or early next, pending approval, and is anticipated to benefit South American farmers significantly. In a related development, FarmQA has launched two new tools to streamline nutrient planning: Advanced Prescriptions and Nutrient Blender, with Advanced Prescriptions delivering batch, formula-based variable rate recommendations for greater precision while Nutrient Blender offers quick, flat-rate fertility planning based on soil data and yield goals. Both tools are designed to improve accuracy and reduce the time agronomists spend on data processing. Additionally, LeafWorks has expanded its DNA-based botanical identification services to include the top 75 herbs and fungi in natural products, with the expanded offering including adulteration detection for complex formulations and blended products. Services include Botanical DNA ID and Adulteration DNA ID testing, validated against a global genomic library to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulatory standards for dietary supplements, foods, cosmetics, and other natural products. On the investment front, Proterra has acquired AcreTrader to extend its farmland investment reach and support the growth of Acres.com, with AcreTrader's team joining Proterra while Acres.com remains independent under founder Carter Malloy. The acquisition aligns with Proterra's broader strategic growth plans, focusing on private equity and credit investments in the global food value chain while maintaining transparency and investor access.

Strategic acquisitions and innovative partnerships are dramatically reshaping the controlled environment agriculture landscape as companies integrate advanced technologies with sustainable farming practices to meet growing market demands. To start, EBZ Group has acquired a majority stake in AgTech startup Organifarms, marking its entry into sustainable and automated agricultural technologies, though co-founders Dominik Feiden and Hannah Brown will leave the company. A new leadership team will combine Organifarms' agricultural expertise with EBZ's automation capabilities, with the partnership aiming to scale the technology into new sectors and achieve market readiness while maintaining the company's culture and continuing ongoing projects. In another significant collaboration, Ecobloom and Kuwait-based GreenLife have partnered to deploy AI-driven farming, with Ecobloom's EcoSense system providing real-time environmental and crop data, predictive alerts, and AI-powered insights. GreenLife's facility uses a CleanGreens aeroponic system for water efficiency and optimal root health, and the partnership aims to improve efficiency, consistency, and sustainability in desert farming conditions. Furthermore, PB tec, part of Atrium Agri, has acquired all assets of CE-Line following its bankruptcy in July 2025, with the deal including intellectual property, patents, inventory, stock, work in progress, and goodwill. CE-Line had developed a capillary electrophoresis system for real-time nutrient measurement in irrigation water, and the acquisition secures CE-Line's expertise in real-time water analysis for greenhouse horticulture, with PB tec planning to integrate and expand these capabilities within its product portfolio.

Diverse agricultural initiatives are driving innovation across protein development, food safety, and environmental sustainability through strategic collaborations and technological breakthroughs that address global challenges. Leading this charge, MBOLD and AURI have launched Protein Navigator, which aims to assist companies working in plant-based and animal protein sectors by offering insights, strategic connections, and personalized guidance while positioning Minnesota as a hub for scalable protein innovation. Simultaneously, Neogen Corporation has entered an arrangement with enzyme design company Biomatter, leveraging Biomatter's Intelligent Architecture platform and Neogen's analytical expertise to create advanced enzyme-based products for food safety applications. In terms of facility expansion, Plantible Foods has opened its first commercial facility in Eldorado, Texas, called the Ranchito, which will produce Rubi Protein from lemna at commercial scale with expansion including upgraded filtration systems and a higher-yield plant strain. The project is expected to cut nearly 8,000 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually, with partnerships including ICL aiming to integrate Rubi Protein into consumer products. Moving to animal health developments, Betagro Ventures has joined an ~$18.4M Series B funding round for U.S.-based animal health company BiomEdit, with proceeds advancing BE-101 ("Optavant"), designed to help prevent necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. Necrotic enteritis is estimated to cause $6B in global poultry losses each year, and BE-101 is a non-antibiotic probiotic vectored antibody product with commercial launch planned for 2026. Finally, in environmental innovation, Ambient Carbon's Methane Eradication Photochemical System (MEPS) has removed up to 90% of methane from dairy barn ventilation air in a large-scale trial conducted at Hofmansgave Foundation farm in Denmark, processing emissions from a 250-cow barn while targeting dilute methane concentrations below 1000 ppm common in livestock housing, with MEPS also removing ammonia, reducing odors, and generating fertilizer as a by-product.

Looking ahead to upcoming industry events, mark your calendars for the Commercial UAV Expo from September 2nd to 4th, 2025 in Las Vegas, USA. Following that, Taiwan Smart Agriweek will take place from September 3rd to 5th, 2025 in Taiwan. The Global Vertical Farming Show 2025 is scheduled for September 10th to 11th, 2025 in Dubai, UAE. Next, SPACE will be held from September 16th to 18th, 2025 in France. Additionally, don't miss AgraME from October 6th to 7th, 2025 in Dubai. Finally, the Vertical Farming World Congress will run from October 7th to 9th, 2025 in Amsterdam.

That wraps up today's episode of AgTech Digest. We explored the latest developments in agricultural technology, from innovative irrigation solutions like Orbia Netafim's heat-protecting sprinkler systems to significant funding rounds including Saga Robotics' £8.4M expansion and BinSentry's $50M Series C. We discovered breakthrough partnerships in indoor strawberry propagation and advanced plant science innovations spanning nematode-resistant soybeans to DNA-based botanical identification services. From controlled environment agriculture acquisitions and AI-driven farming partnerships to groundbreaking protein development facilities and methane reduction technologies, it's clear that the agtech sector is making remarkable strides in sustainability, precision, and innovation. With strategic acquisitions, cutting-edge partnerships, and transformative technologies addressing climate challenges and operational efficiency, the future of agriculture is shaping up to be smarter and more resilient than ever before. Thanks for joining me, I'm Anna, signing off. Stay inspired and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible!