Croptix, a precision agtech platform specializing in in-field early detection of crop health, has announced the successful first close of their Series Seed funding round. The round was led by Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA), a strategic investor and renowned leader in regenerative agriculture. Existing investors 1855 Capital and Ben Franklin Technology Partners also participated in the round. With this investment, Croptix aims to accelerate the development and utilization of its patented in-field sensing technology. This disruptive platform enables faster and easier detection of crop health issues, leading to improved crop quality, higher yields, and better financial returns for farmers.
Accelerating In-Field Crop Health Assessment:
Croptix's platform empowers farmers with predictive, data-driven farming decisions. By leveraging patented in-field sensors, AI analytics, proprietary cloud-based data, and a mobile app, the platform provides rapid and actionable results. Initially, Croptix's solution has been instrumental in aiding citrus growers in the early detection of Huanglongbing (HLB) citrus greening, one of the most destructive diseases affecting citrus plants worldwide. With the new investment, Croptix plans to expand its offerings into the nutrient segment while continuing to enhance disease detection solutions for growers of high-value permanent crops such as apples, grapes, and citrus. With AEA as a strategic partner, Croptix will scale its in-field testing capabilities across a wide range of crops, both domestically and internationally.
Strategic Partnership with Advancing Eco Agriculture:
AEA specializes in developing systems for regenerative agriculture, providing large-scale farmers with agronomy expertise, cutting-edge technologies, and specialty plant nutrition products. "Croptix's technology will add a new dimension to the consulting and nutritional services AEA offers by providing farmers with fast, data-driven analysis," said AEA CEO Jason Hobson. He further highlighted how this technology will enable farmers to quickly identify potential crop-related issues and address nutrient deficiencies proactively. Driven by the vision of its co-founders, Dr. Perry Edwards and Dr. Zhiwen Liu, Croptix aims to translate innovative sensor technology from Pennsylvania State University into practical solutions with real-world impact. Their expertise in optical engineering, combined with a team of engineers and scientists, has culminated in the development of the Croptix platform—a field-deployable solution for farmers to measure nutrition on-site and screen for crop diseases. By harnessing miniature spectrophotometers, big data, and AI, Croptix's invention presents a new industry tool to enhance global food security. The company has also received highly competitive National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and Phase II grants to further develop and commercialize its technology.
Conclusion:
With the first close of its Series Seed funding round led by Advancing Eco Agriculture, Croptix is poised to revolutionize crop health assessment in the agriculture industry. By leveraging its patented in-field sensing technology and data-driven analytics, the company aims to provide farmers with rapid and actionable insights, enabling them to optimize crop quality and yield. With the support of strategic partners and early investors, Croptix is well-positioned to accelerate the development and adoption of its innovative platform, ultimately contributing to global food security and sustainable farming practices.