The Venture Codex

Participated · Series A · Feb 2026

Founded in 2018, BemAgro develops a geospatial intelligence platform that leverages artificial intelligence to optimize operations across crops such as soy, sugarcane and forestry. Its software delivers precision-agriculture insights that improve operational efficiency, climate predictability and data-driven decision making for growers and agribusinesses. Since inception the company has raised more than R$50 million, and it has tripled revenue since its previous fundraising round in August 2024 thanks to a larger customer base, new product launches and higher average ticket sizes. The newly secured capital will finance further AI development, the roll-out of additional solutions, and the expansion of its commercial presence in Brazil and selected international markets. Management positions the company as one of Brazil’s leading AI platforms for the farm sector and aims to scale responsibly with a globally oriented ambition.

Participated · Equity · Nov 2024

EarthOptics leverages advances in soil-sensing technologies, genomics, and data science to deliver predictive insights into chemical, physical, and biological soil properties. It combines lab-based analysis with field-based sensors to give farmers and ranchers actionable recommendations to optimize spending and unlock sustainable farming opportunities. The company completed a strategic merger with Pattern Ag, combining EarthOptics’ proprietary field-based sensing technologies with Pattern Ag’s lab-based analysis to offer comprehensive soil data. Led by CEO Lars Dyrud, EarthOptics operates offices in Raleigh, North Carolina; Emeryville, California; Arlington and Blacksburg, Virginia; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Fayetteville, Arkansas, and maintains two laboratories in Emeryville and Memphis, Tennessee. The company intends to use new funding to accelerate technological innovation, broaden its geographic reach, and consolidate its position as an authoritative source for soil insights. EarthOptics develops next-generation soil-sensing technologies that combine ground-based sensors, satellites, physical soil samples, machine learning models, and agronomic expertise to deliver detailed soil measurements. The company's platform provides insights to help farmers optimize fertilizer applications, inform tillage decisions, and quantify carbon sequestration. EarthOptics plans to use its latest funding to expand access to its tools and deliver hyper-accurate soil insights. Founded in 2018 and based in Arlington, VA, the company serves growers and ranchers seeking data-driven land-management decisions. The company is led by CEO Lars Dyrud. The article reports a recent financing that will support its growth and product expansion efforts. EarthOptics has developed an imaging suite that uses ground-penetrating radar and electromagnetic induction to produce deep maps of soil physical and chemical composition. Its commercial products, GroundOwl and C-Mapper (C for carbon), reconcile no-contact sensor data with traditional lab samples via machine learning trained on tens of thousands of ground-truth measurements. The hardware can be mounted on ordinary tractors or trucks and pulls readings every few feet, reducing physical sampling from hundreds of samples to dozens. The company’s outputs can be used to create meter-scale treatment maps or to feed variable-depth robotic field machinery such as smart tillers. Management positions the product as a cheaper, faster, and more precise alternative to traditional soil sampling and as foundational data for automated and robotic farming. Financially, EarthOptics raised a $10.3M A round to scale its two existing products and to develop a moisture-mapping product.

Participated · Series B · Nov 2021

Monarch Tractor integrates autonomous driving and electric powertrains into tractors, selling machines with automated driving features to farms and other customers such as dairy farms and airports. The company has roughly 400 tractors in the field and reports 15% of customers returning to buy additional tractors. In 2023 it expanded beyond its initial vineyard and fruit-farm market in California into new geographies and customer types. Monarch recently rebuilt its service and support teams after receiving customer feedback that coverage was insufficient in new areas. The company also reduced headcount by less than 15% of its roughly 250–300-person workforce as part of a reshuffling to better support sales and after-sales service. The new funding is intended to increase production, bolster sales and service capabilities, and support expansion into more states. Monarch Tractor develops fully-electric, autonomous farm equipment, centered on a farmer-first design philosophy. Its flagship MK-V electric tractor can operate autonomously for over 10 hours and supports battery swap capabilities for near-continuous use. The company is preparing to start production of its Founder’s Series electric tractors at its Livermore, California footprint, with a ramp expected this quarter. Monarch has a contract with Foxconn to move manufacturing to Lordstown, Ohio beginning in early 2023. Monarch and partners are demonstrating bi-directional battery capabilities to export power and act as mobile generators during wildfire-driven grid outages. The company is part of a Farm Electrification Consortium that will develop the hardware, software, and communications needed to link electric farm equipment to fleet hubs and grid management systems. Monarch received a $3 million grant award to accelerate these efforts. Monarch produces a self-titled electric autonomous tractor and automation platform aimed at fruit and vegetable farms. The tractor system was introduced this year and has been deployed in 15 initial pilots, including one at a local vineyard. The company plans to deliver production units in Q4 of this year. Monarch says the new funding will be used to scale manufacturing and sales of the tractor. It also plans to extend pilots internationally to South America, Europe and Asia. The company cites pandemic-accelerated labor shortages, sustainability concerns, and food traceability scrutiny as drivers of demand for its solution. Monarch Tractor builds fully electric, driver-optional smart tractors that combine electrification, autonomous capability, and data management. The company positions its product to enable profitable implementation of sustainable and organic farming practices while alleviating labor shortages and maximizing yields. Monarch launched its tractor in December 2020 and has seen increased global demand since that launch, receiving awards and recognition from AgTech Breakthrough, World Ag Expo, Fast Company, and others. The company says it will use strategic investment to support rapid global deployment and to expand applicability beyond traditional farm products. Financially, Monarch has closed a $20 million Series A to fund growth and deployment. Investors are characterized in the filing as industrial equipment manufacturers, automotive suppliers, venture capital, and impact capital backing its scaling efforts.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2021

GearFlow operates GearFlow.com, an online parts marketplace built for the construction industry. The company is based in Chicago, IL. It raised $3M in a seed round led by Watchfire Ventures, with participation from Newark Venture Partners, Liquid2 Ventures, Path Ventures and Harvard Business School Angels; CNH Industrial joined as a strategic investor. The financing brings GearFlow’s total funding to $4.6M following a $1.6M pre-seed round in 2019. In conjunction with the round, Greg Owens, former chairman and CEO of IronPlanet, is joining GearFlow’s board. The company said it will use the funds to expand operations and broaden its business reach. GearFlow is led by founder and CEO Luke Powers and co-founder and CMO Ben Preston. Gearflow.com is an e-commerce platform built to support and digitally represent construction equipment rental companies and complementary businesses. Led by founder and CEO Luke Powers and based in Chicago, the platform launched in the fall of 2018. Since launch it has grown to over 90 active sellers, from independent operators to national rental equipment companies. The company focuses on providing a digital marketplace and representation for the construction equipment rental industry. Gearflow intends to use its recent funding to strengthen the platform and expand its team.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2021

Augmenta is a Paris-based precision-agriculture startup that equips existing farm machinery with a roof-mounted, camera-driven device that analyzes crop foliage in real time and instructs sprayers or spreaders to vary inputs on the fly. The system targets nitrogen, plant growth regulators and harvest aids, achieving average input reductions of 9%, 20% and 15% respectively while delivering a 2% yield increase across customers in 16 countries spanning Europe, the CIS, the Americas and Australia. Compatible with pre-owned equipment, the solution allows growers of wheat, barley, oilseeds and other broadacre crops to adopt precision farming without purchasing new tractors or implements. CEO and co-founder George Varvarelis leads a team focused on sustainable agriculture and pollution reduction. With fresh funding, Augmenta plans to expand its distribution footprint and develop a Green-on-Brown pesticide-spraying module that will be pushed to existing devices through over-the-air software updates. The company has secured a total of $11.1 million in financing to date.