Arlington-based EarthOptics, a soil tester that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to create detailed carbon maps of farms, raised a $27.6 million funding round to grow internationally and meet what it says has been a fast-growing market demand in just the past year.
The Series B round was led by Conti Ventures, the venture arm of international agriculture conglomerate Continental Grain Co., with participation from the Netherlands’ Rabo Food & Ag Innovation Fund; London-based CNH Industrial; Louis Dreyfus Co. Ventures, an investment arm of “Seinfeld” and “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ family; and the joint venture fund of farmer-owned cooperatives CHS and Growmark’s Cooperative Ventures.
As sustainable agriculture gains in recognition, ag-tech providers like EarthOptics — which aims to be a Google Maps of sorts for more sustainable farming — have received more of the spotlight. CEO Lars Dyrud said the local company has seen fivefold growth in its revenue, which he declined…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
