California-based agtech start-up Farm-ng is not rushing to complete its next round of funding, focusing instead on using its existing runway to drive sales of its Amiga robots and by enhancing software, Brendan Dowdle, Farm-ng CEO, told AgTechNavigator.
Farm-ng offers modular robotics designed to perform various tasks based on implements, including spreading compost, phenotyping, cultivating, hauling or towing, on small and medium-sized farms. Amiga costs between $20,000-25,000, depending on the configuration, which can include various implements like weeders, sprayers or harvest aid tables, Dowdle explained.
Farm-ng sold approximately 230 Amiga robots since launching in 2020, including 70-80 sales in 2024, and the ag-tech start-up expects to increase sales by threefold in 2025, he added.
Farm-ng is focusing on “predictable, scalable and forecastable growth,” so the agtech company does not have to rely constantly on venture capital investment to survive, Dowdle said. “We see a lot of business failures ... as a result of over raising,” he added.
Farm-ng raised $10 million in Series A funding in January 2023, led by Acre Venture Partners with participation from HawkTower, Xplorer Capital and other investors, according to a press release.
“We are not actively raising now, [but] we always are speaking with investors, and investors are constantly getting to know us. But in this moment in time, we have enough runway and enough business traction that our focus is more on business execution versus on fundraising,” Dowdle elaborated.
Software update opens up Amiga’s platform
Farm-ng is listening to its customers and developers to enhance Amiga’s capabilities, rolling out a series of new features last week, Dowdle said.
Amiga’s new Job Manager feature allows farmers to pre-programme tasks within a designated path or zone, which can be saved and repeated, Dowdle said. Farmers can upload environmental data on fields and program the robots to conduct specific tasks, he added.
Additionally, Amiga’s user interface was streamlined and smart implement controls were added, the company shared in a release. These updates are available through an over-the-air update for no additional costs.
Beyond user features, Farm-ng refactored its code, reducing the amount of processing power its navigation program takes up on the Amiga’s CPU, Dowdle explained. The new code base “frees [CPU] space up for developers to build their solutions on top of the Amiga,” opening an ecosystem for developers to create customised applications, he added.
Creating a new ag form factor with automated robots
Farm-ng is focusing primarily on small and medium-sized farms, as it scales up the business but has not ruled out eventually moving into more large corporate farms, Dowdle noted.
“Over time, we see our machines performing well in those large environments as well, but we really are focused in that small to mid-size market at this point because there is such a white space,” Dowdle elaborated.
Additionally, Farm-ng has no immediate plans to spin off its software component from its hardware, Dowdle said. Other automation companies like Agtonomy are taking a different approach by partnering with original equipment manufacturers like Kubota to bring its service to market.
“The reason that we focus on both hardware and software is because we believe that the future of ag with autonomy is through a new form factor,” Dowdle said. “What we are doing is building that form factor — that smaller, modular and affordable piece of equipment — that then enables coordinated actions in a field.”
