$4.5M seed funding to bring IA to greenhouses and beyond

Koidra was founded by the lead of Microsoft Research's winning team at the inaugural Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge. They were  the only team to outperform expert Dutch growers, and they also demonstrated the massive yield and profitability improvements that were achievable through intelligent greenhouse automation.

Intelligent automation combines multiple disciplines - such as artificial intelligence, mathematics, and physics - to transform real-time data into useful decisions. Koidra delivers "decision intelligence" to their clients for improved operational decision making, a top technology trend identified by analyst firm Gartner. Besides operational efficiency gain, Koidra solutions also advance manufacturing businesses on their journey to achieving hyperautomation, another strategic technology trend identified by Gartner.

Koidra is democratizing IA solutions for controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), and for a variety of industrial applications, with their innovative platform and products. The company's award-winning autonomous greenhouse technology combines physics, crop modeling, machine learning, and internet of things (IoT), to transform CEA, resulting in higher yield and less waste. Koidra is extending its core tech to improve operations in Industrial IoT and real-time control applications, such as for machine and factory automation. The goal in each case is to eventually create autonomous greenhouses, farms, and factories.

Intelligent automation spans multiple disciplines to create superior solutions.

"Koidra is obsessed with modernizing basic industries and making them more sustainable. We are excited to be partnering with quality investors from both the AgTech and DeepTech spheres. Their collective industry knowledge and connections will add enormous value as we deploy our products, and their funding will help Koidra advance our vision much quicker," says Kenneth Tran, the CEO of Koidra.

What investors say

"We are impressed with Koidra's autonomous growing  technology and its portfolio of clients that include some of the largest greenhouses and indoor farms in North America. Their strengths fit perfectly with our objective to invest in innovations that help farmers do more with less environmental impact," says Thomas Wiltrout, Director of OAS.

"We believe that Koidra, with its principled research approach and experience in enterprise software, will deliver substantial positive impact to the Ag industry" observes Mike Wilbur, CEO of Cavallo Ventures and a Board Member of Wilbur-Ellis.

"We believe IA is a key driver for increasing efficiency and sustainability moving forward, and we are excited to invest in Koidra as a tech leader in IA for climate control, farm automation, and advanced manufacturing," comments Eric Rosenblum, Managing Partner at Foothill Ventures.

About

Koidra Inc.

Koidra is an Intelligent Automation (IA) startup based in Seattle and focused on industrial IoT for agricultural and industrial applications. Koidra was founded by Kenneth Tran, a former principal applied scientist at Microsoft, with a mission to transform controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), and sustainable agriculture at large, using artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) technology. For more information, please visit www.koidra.ai 

Ospraie Ag Science

Ospraie Ag Science LLC (OAS) identifies solutions to help farmers "Do More With Less." By increasing profitability, improving quality-adjusted yield and reducing environmental impact, OAS's companies not only benefit growers as they produce smarter, healthier and more efficient food for consumers globally. For more information, please visit www.ospraieagscience.com

About Amritam Holdings

Amritam Holdings is an investment group that provides capital and expertise to distinctive sustainability companies. Led by experienced entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors across food, agriculture, energy, consumer products and finance, Amritam seeks to partner with entrepreneurs to help them navigate startup and growth challenges while creating positive change in the world.Led by experienced leaders from food, agriculture, energy, consumer products and finance, Amritam seeks to partner with entrepreneurs to create positive change across the sectors it invests in. . For more information, please visit https://www.amritamholdings.com

About Cavallo Ventures

Cavallo is the investment arm of Wilbur-Ellis Holdings Inc., which distributes agricultural products, animal feed, and specialty chemicals and ingredients through various companies. With their investments, Cavallo looks for dedicated founders solving real problems, each with an unwavering resolve to build and execute. Beyond capital, they provide deep expertise and market knowledge, enabling founders to launch new products and services, run trials, expand, and recruit new talent. For more information, please visit https://www.cavallovc.com/

Foothill Ventures

Foothill Ventures is a technology-focused venture fund based in Los Altos, CA. They make pre-seed, seed (preferred), and A-round investments in startups across the software, life science, and deep tech industries. For more information, please visit https://www.foothill.ventures/

Photo Courtesy of Koidra

Source: Koidra