Bill Gates Funds Agriculture With Hydroponic Systems In California

Agriculture plays an important role in the Californian economy. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - As California struggles with a drought crippling agriculture, a Silicon Valley startup that believes robots can grow products more sustainably said Wednesday, September 22, that it raised USD 50 million in a funding round led by the Breakthrough Energy Ventures Bill Gates.

Iron Ox uses robots integrated with a hydroponic system that consumes 90% less water than traditional farming, says CEO Brandon Alexander.

The company applied the system to work in a 10,000-square-foot (930-square-meter) greenhouse in Gilroy, California, where a self-driving robot named Grover moved a Genovese Basil pallet, and a robotic arm system lifted the pallet for inspection. Sensors check the water for nitrogen and acidity levels for healthy growth.

"Then they said, 'What's missing? What does the plant need that we don't give'," Alexander says. Any unused water can be pumped back into the system for reuse later.

Agriculture plays an important role in California's economy, but water use is increasingly in the spotlight. The last major drought in 2012-2017 cut irrigation for farmers, forced strict household conservation measures, and sparked deadly wildfires.

Iron Ox grows Thai basil and strawberries and cultivates cilantro, parsley, and tomatoes. The company is also building a new 535,000-square-foot greenhouse in Lockhart, Texas, 48 ​​km south of Austin.

Alexander says hydroponics – saving water by growing crops without soil – is just one piece of the puzzle for future agriculture.

"To really eliminate waste, to really get to the next level of sustainability and impact, we have to rethink the whole growth process," he said.

The funding round included investors from Crosslink Capital, R7 Partners, and Pathbreaker Ventures, among others. Iron Ox declined to comment on his assessment.