20 Top Agtech Startups to Watch in 2024

Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the best agtech startups of 2024 that startup lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow.

Disclaimer: With so many exciting startups launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.

• Location: Lagos, Nigeria
• Founders: Adaeze Akpagbula, Israel Alabi, James Akomu, Peter Okonmah
• Founded In: 2018
• Funding: Non-Equity Assistance, $100,000
• Investors Include: Sais, USAID

Farmspeak Technology is helping the Sub-Saharan agriculture business by utilizing IoT technology. This tech should allow African poultry farmers to grow profits through the use of data-driven decisions. The mission of the company is to eliminate extreme poverty amongst farmers and provide food security.

• Location: Sacramento, California
• Founders: Adrian Ferrero, Alberto Acedo
• Founded In: 2015
• Funding: Grant, $25 Million
• Investors Include: JME Ventures, Seaya Ventures

Biome Makers are producing neural biocomputing applications that help enable sustainable and productive farming techniques. The aim of the company is to optimize farming practices, improve soil health, and empower sustainability.

• Location: Kearny, New Jersey
• Founders: Hiroki Koga, Brendan Somerville
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Series A, $50 Million
• Investors Include: Sony Innovation Fund, PKSHA Technology

Oishii is an innovative agtech startup leading the vertical farming revolution with its proprietary technology, producing premium quality strawberries indoors, all year round. Utilizing state-of-the-art hydroponics and carefully controlled environments, they consistently deliver pesticide-free, flavorful berries, setting new standards for sustainable agriculture. 

• Location: Abertillery, United Kingdom
• Founders: Chris Kantrowitz, Isabelle Botticelli, Thomas Hafner
• Founded In: 2018
• Funding: Series A, $3 Million
• Investors Include: Spacecadet Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital

Mootral is tackling some of the largest issues in the agriculture world including climate change and antimicrobial resistance. The company builds solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of drugs like antibiotics. The first tech is a natural feed supplement that can reduce the methane emissions from cattle.

• Location: Athens, Greece
• Founders: Dimitri Evangelopoulos, George Varvarelis
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Series A, $11.2 Million
• Investors Include: Marathon Venture Capital, CNH Industrial

Using deep learning, Augmenta is able to boost yields, enhance quality, and reduce input spend using an automated precision application for farm inputs. The plug-and-play solution is paving the way for profitable sustainability.

• Location: London, United Kingdom
• Founders: Genevieve Leveille
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: N/A
• Investors Include: SproutX

Agriledger is helping develop traceability, transparency, and accountability in the global food supply chain. The company is achieving this possibility through the use of digital identity, information, and financial services.

• Location: Austin, Texas
• Founders: Ben McConnell, Christina Wing, Evan Alter, Sam Eder
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Seed, $1.1 Million
• Investors Include: Techstars, MassChallenge

Big Wheelbarrow is attempting to save small local producers by creating a SaaS company that enables wholesale food buyers to work with smaller companies. They are able to consolidate local buying to help wholesale buyers increase the percentage of local produce on their shelves.

• Location: Burlingame, California
• Founders: Diane Wu, Poornima Parameswaran
• Founded In: 2015
• Funding: Convertible Note, $39.7 Million
• Investors Include: Trailhead Capital, S2G Ventures

Trace Genomics is helping agriculture by looking into the soil that is being used and leveraging it as a compass to bring sustainable change. Customers are given insights into the quality of their soil and how management practices have an effect.

• Location: Kineton, United Kingdom
• Founders: Andrew Diprose
• Founded In: 2012
• Funding: Series A, $9.7 Million
• Investors Include: V-Bio Ventures, The Yield Lab Europe

RootWave is developing innovative products that use electricity to kill weeds. No chemical herbicides are used, and their solutions kill weeds without harming the soil or generating more costs — a sustainable and regenerative technology.

• Location: Goleta, California
• Founders: James Rogers
• Founded In: 2012
• Funding: Debt Financing, $719.1 Million
• Investors Include: Mirae Asset Capital, Tao Capital Partners

Apeel Sciences is improving the waste issue of the world by developing plant-derived shelf-life extensions for fresh produce. The company is able to keep moisture inside the produce and oxygen from getting inside, reducing spoilage in the process.

• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Founders: Adam Preslar, Aidan Mouat, Amy Garber, Patrick Flynn, Yuvaraj Kundasi
• Founded In: 2015
• Funding: Series Unknown, $87.8 Million
• Investors Include: Pangaea Ventures, Pontifax AgTech

Hazel Technologies is reducing waste in the agriculture supply chain by developing biotechnology. The company does this using its patented 1-MCP technology conditions the storage atmosphere of produce to reduce the respiration rate and increase the resistance to ethylene.

Explore more of the top Chicago startups.

• Location: Saint Louis Park, Minnesota
• Founders: Bruno Basso
• Founded In: 2015
• Funding: Series C, $67.4 Million
• Investors Include: Flagship Pioneering, Generation Investment Management

CIBO Technologies works on several fronts to improve the landscape of the agriculture industry. They are connecting enterprises to growers to help create sustainability while also connecting growers to incentives to keep them on the right track.

• Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Founders: Saad Ansari, Yasir Khokhar
• Founded In: 2014
• Funding: Series B, $18.3 Million
• Investors Include: Cibus Fund, Acequia Capital

Using AI, Connecterra is helping the dairy industry by providing a farmer's smart assistant that can identify issues, recommend solutions, and streamline operations.

• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Founders: Paul Mikesell, Paul Mikesell
• Founded In: 2018
• Funding: Series C, $65.9 Million
• Investors Include: Ignition Partners, Liquid 2 Ventures

Carbon Robotics is a company that is fully committed to helping the agriculture industry by producing robotics that help make processes more efficient and faster. One of the recent projects is the Laswerweeder, which is better than spraying, mechanical weeding, or hand weeding.

Check out our full list of the top Seattle startups to watch.

• Location: Champaign, Illinois
• Founders: Chinmay Soman, Girish Chowdhary
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Grant, $2.4 Million
• Investors Include: Innova Memphis, Trailhead Capital

EarthSense is providing intelligence for the agriculture industry they can use to make better decisions. Their products are able to provide mapping and analytics for field conditions, crop health, and yield potential. This information is used by farmers to improve their operations.

• Location: Surry Hills, Australia
• Founders: Ros Harvey
• Founded In: 2014
• Funding: $14.6 Million
• Investors Include: Bosch, KPMG US

The Yield is changing corporate agriculture by transforming food and farming practices using scalable digital technologies. The company uses real-time data and AI to solve any farming challenges throughout the food chain.

• Location: Phoenix, Arizona
• Founders: John Bertram, Samuel Bertram
• Founded In: 2017
• Funding: Seed, $24 Million
• Investors Include: Southland Industries, KBW Ventures

OnePointOne has been able to fully automate a vertical farming system that can improve the health of the entire world through plant-based foods and medicines. The company uses automation, AI, and plant science to achieve its goals.

• Location: La Palma Del Condado, Spain
• Founders: Juan Bravo
• Founded In: 2009
• Funding: N/A
• Investors Include: N/A

Agrobot is another company that is attempting to create robots that can help the agriculture industry. One of their recent projects includes an insect vacuum robot that is efficient, accurate, and cost-effective.

• Location: Durham, North Carolina
• Founders: Glenn King
• Founded In: 2005
• Funding: Series C, $264.9 Million
• Investors Include: Ordwary Selections, Syngenta Ventures

Pests are one of the biggest issues facing the agriculture industry. Vestaron produces a variety of insecticides for the agriculture industry and also animal health, non-crop, and commercial pest control applications.

• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Founders: Ben Dusastre, Pablo Schwarzbeck
• Founded In: 2014
• Funding: Funding Type Undisclosed, $342.9 Million
• Investors Include: International Finance Corporation, Finistere Ventures

ProducePay is a fintech startup that provides financing, analytics, and a full marketplace for any produces of fresh produce. Buyers can gain access to more growers and even receive their products more efficiently

Recommended: Check out our full list of the top startups to watch!