Agriculture robotics startup Niqo Robotics raises $13M in Series B round

Agriculture robotics startup Niqo Robotics has raised $13 million in Series B funding led by Bidra Innovation Ventures. The round also saw significant investments from new investor Fulcrum Global Capital and existing investor Omnivore. Niqo has so far raised a total of $21 million from Beenext, Bidra Innovation Ventures, Blume Ventures, FMC Corporation, Fulcrum Global Capital, and Omnivore in Seed, Series A, and Series B funding.

The Bengaluru-based startup uses a proprietary AI camera with deep learning models to identify and selectively spray on target plants, reducing chemical usage by up to 90%.

Niqo has successfully commercialised over 90,000 acres of land, demonstrating real-time savings of up to 60% on chemicals and benefiting over 1,800 farmers in 2023-24, it said in a statement.

Founded in 2015 by Jaisimha Rao, Niqo’s spot spray technology uses computer vision, deep learning, and AI on the edge to selectively spray agrochemicals on the target plant without spraying on soil.

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“With the Series B fund closure, we are made stronger by a syndicate of investors with deep agricultural expertise from three different continents,” said Jaisimha Rao, Founder and CEO, Niqo Robotics.

“With their backing, we will expand to new markets and accelerate the commercial adoption of spot spray, globally,” he added.

“Farmer-first solutions, like Niqo’s AI-powered spot spraying technology, are essential for sustainable agriculture. We are thrilled to lead this investment round and help put Niqo’s cutting-edge technology in the hands of more farmers. This aligns perfectly with Bidra’s mission to support founders who develop innovative solutions to sustainably feed a growing population,” said Yassine Cherkaoui, CEO, Bidra Innovation Ventures.