Carbon Robotics

Carbon Robotics is a Seattle-based smart farming startup that develops robots to improve crop yield. The company’s robot,  “Autonomous Weeder”, which was unveiled in April 2021, improves crop yield by destroying weeds. The robots are equipped with GPS, laser technology, AI, and robotic controls that allow them to navigate and scan fields, crops, and weeds in real-time to identify weeds that need to be removed. Autonomous Weeders are specifically designed for row crops accommodating an area ranging from 200 to tens of thousands of acres and were tested with specialty crop fields, such as onions, prior to their launch.

The company claims that its autonomous weeders can kill over 100,000 weeds an hour. In September 2021, the company reported that it had witnessed an increasing demand for its robots and had bookings worth more than USD 20 million. The company also noted that its production runs for 2021 and 2022 units have already been sold out and that it is accepting orders for the 2023 growing season. Carbon Robotics has also launched the 2022 version of its LaserWeeder , an AI and laser based autonomous weeding robot, in February that year. The robot had an upgraded build including a 3x higher laser count than the previous version with an effective weeding capacity of 2 acres per hour. In February 2023, the company introduced the LaserThinning capability to its Laser Welder which uses lasers and eliminates the need for chemicals or manual hand labor. In February 2024 , the company launched Track LaserWeeder, a new model of LaserWeeder, and two software enhancements: Spatial data intelligence and multi-language support.

As of May 2021, Carbon was reportedly allowing its robots to be purchased via lease deals. Otherwise, the company has sold its products directly to farmers, mainly along the US West Coast.

Funding and financials

In April 2023, the company raised USD 30 million in a Series C funding round led by Sozo Ventures, bringing Carbon Robotics’ total funding to USD 67 million. The company intends to use the funds to expand sales regions across North America, optimize and increase manufacturing, develop new software and hardware products, and expand into international markets.