Agrotech startup “Carbon Robotics” continues to pick up steam with LaserWeeder, its high-tech farming machinery. LaserWeeder is a weed-obliteration machine that uses proprietary AI and computer vision technology for to-the-millimeter precision thinning of crop fields. There are 30 industrial lasers, tracking cameras, and a deep-learning model on board. It can kill ~200k weeds per hour. Weeding by thermal energy means no damage to plants or disturbance of soil. Good luck finding a cooler yardwork hack? The first weeders sold out upon unveiling in 2022 — so far, the freshman class has combined to eliminate 500m+ weeds across 40 different crops. Why farmers are on board? Herbicide-resistant weeds have tormented farmers for decades. Herbicides themselves are also a top cost (~$100/acre each year). LaserWeeder takes care of both in the long run, while also helping farms navigate their current labor shortage. Theoretically, it also drives chemical-free, no-till farming, which leads to higher yields of healthier, more organic crops.
Investors are on board, too:
Even as VC trends against robotics, Carbon just raised another $30m. Since launching in 2018, it has raised $67m.
Per GeekWire, Carbon believes laserweeding could be a $41B market.
