Picketa Systems, a Canadian company that offers real-time plant tissue analysis using its Leaf Evaluated Nutrient System (LENS), has raised nearly CAD 1.4 million (~USD 1.1 million) in a seed funding round led by the New Brunswick Innovation Fund, with participation from Tall Grass Ventures, Desjardins, Koan Capital, Emmertech, and multiple angels from East Valley Ventures and StartupTNT.

The funding will be used to further develop and deploy its technology, LENS, and broaden the scope of plant applications.

Founded in 2021, Picketa Systems offers real-time plant tissue analysis through its Leaf Evaluated Nutrient System (LENS) technology, which was developed collaboratively with farmers in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The process involves collecting plant tissue samples, scanning them using the company’s optical sensing technology, and analyzing the raw data on its cloud platform. Algorithms transform the data into nutrient concentrations, which users can access through its web platform for interpretation and decision-making. This year, the technology was employed by ten agronomists in Canada and the UK for in-field applications. While initially focused on potatoes, the company is expanding trials to include crops such as corn, onions, carrots, and blueberries, with plans for further diversification in the future.