Climate Robotics wins AgSharks Pitch Competition

Climate Robotics has earned an equity investment offer of $250,000 from the 2023 AgSharks Pitch Competition.

Western Growers and S2G Ventures announced the winner during the sixth annual AgSharks Pitch Competition at the Western Growers annual meeting in Kauai, Hawaii.

Climate Robotics is a developer of mobile biochar production systems for commercial agriculture, according to a news release. Biochar is a carbon-negative soil amendment made from waste biomass that helps reverse global climate change. When biochar is applied to agricultural soils, it boosts crop yield, water retention and nutrient retention. Globally, biochar production has the potential to durably sequester up to 2 billion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide in agricultural soils every year while generating valuable carbon removal credits, the release said.

Climate Robotics’ trailer-mounted systems allow for low-cost, distributed production of high-value biochar directly on the farm, according to the release.

“We are beyond excited to win the 2023 AgSharks competition,” Jason Aramburu, co-founder and CEO of Climate Robotics, said in the release. “There is an immense opportunity to leverage existing resources to sequester billions of tons of CO2 on farms. We are grateful for events like these that help companies such as Climate Robotics scale their tech innovations to decarbonize the atmosphere and improve soil health. We thank S2G and Western Growers for hosting a fantastic event and connecting us with growers, investors and other key members of the agriculture community.”   

In addition to investment capital, Climate Robotics will receive international recognition, mentoring from Western Growers and S2G Ventures, potential access to farm acreage to pilot its technologies, and exposure to Western Growers' network of leading fresh produce companies, the release said.

“We exist in a world of increasing complexity — water issues, variable climate, fragile supply chains, among other challenges," Audre Kapacinskas, principal at S2G Ventures, said in the release. "By working in partnership with Western Growers we seek to accelerate the adoption of new technologies that can solve real-world problems and work in tandem with industry to ensure we are directing capital to its highest and best use. Western Growers has been a phenomenal partner and we look forward to continuing to work together.”

“AgSharks is one of the highlights of the Western Growers annual meeting because you can see the best and brightest agtech innovators like Climate Robotics succeed in real time," Walt Duflock, senior vice president of innovation for Western Growers, said in the release. "There is nothing like the pressure cooker of telling your story to hundreds of top produce industry leaders to prove you are ready to take your technology to market.”

The funding offer was awarded by S2G Ventures after Climate Robotics competed against two other finalists inventing new technology solutions to solve agriculture’s most pressing issues. The other finalists were:

• Cultiva, a global leader in plant cuticle health technology. Its branded products — Parka and Kallur — help growers of specialty crops protect their yield from increasing environmental stresses, including those associated with extreme temperatures and untimely moisture events. Crops protected by Cultiva’s patented technology have reduced incidences of fruit cracking, sunburn, doubling, staining and coloring issues, ultimately improving growers’ overall marketable yield, according to the release.
• Provision, a company whose cloud software aims to simply compliance for growers in any commodity, helping them meet requirements from customers, regulators and certifications. By replacing cumbersome paperwork and complex technology with an intuitive interface, automated notifications and smart rules, Provision is helping hundreds of growers across three continents save audit time and improve process control, according to the release. Tailored for small to mid-sized operations, Provision’s ease of use and customizable data tools put powerful insights within reach from 200 acres to 20,000, the release said.

Provision was the Audience Choice Winner, as determined by the votes of those in attendance, the release said.

The three startups pitched their inventions in front of an audience of more than 300 fresh produce farmers and industry leaders during the 97th Western Growers annual meeting, held Nov. 12-15. 

The competition was hosted by Daryl Shelton, executive vice president at RDO Equipment Co., and judged by Briana Giampaoli, head of marketing and product innovation for Live Oak Farms; Audre Kapacinskas, principal at S2G Ventures; J.P. LaBrucherie, president of LaBrucherie Produce; and Sumeeta Salvador, associate at S2G Ventures.

AgSharks was first held in 2017, and through the competition, past winners Hazel Technologies, Burro and Nutjobs have since brought their products from development to market, the release said.

Hazel Technologies has raised over $87.8 million in funding over six rounds and is advancing the industry with sachets that extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Burro raised a $10.9 million Series A round in September 2021, led by S2G Ventures and Toyota Ventures, and it continues to help solve farmers’ labor woes with the expansion of its fleet of autonomous robots to farms across the west, the release said. Last year, Nutjobs received an AgSharks record $6 million equity investment for its technology transforming nutshell waste into bioplastics.