Israeli Ag-Tech Startup BloomX Raises $13 Million in Series A Funding
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Israeli ag-tech startup BloomX has raised $13 million in a Series A funding round led by Elah Fund, bringing its total funding to $20 million. The company develops robotic and AI-powered pollination solutions for agriculture, which have shown a 20% average yield increase for growers. The funds will support expansion into Peru, Mexico, South Africa, Israel, and the United States, as well as into new crop types. BloomX's technology addresses the challenges of declining natural pollinators and the need for managed pollination in modern farming.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- BloomX, an Israeli ag-tech firm, secured $13 million in Series A funding to enhance its pollination technology.
- The funding round was led by Elah Fund and brings BloomX's total capital raised to $20 million.
- BloomX's technology uses robotics and AI to optimize pollination, increasing crop yields by an average of 20%.
- The company plans to use the investment to expand its operations in Peru, Mexico, South Africa, and Israel.
- BloomX's solutions address the global decline in natural pollinators and the increasing demand for managed pollination.
- The startup's systems have demonstrated significant improvements in fruit size and quality for growers.
Israeli ag-tech startup BloomX has successfully closed a $13 million Series A funding round, led by Elah Fund, with participation from Rothschild Foundation, Shdodot Innovation, Tene Investment Funds, OurCrowd, Bio-Bee, and others. This brings the company's total funding to $20 million since its inception in 2019. The new capital will be used to accelerate business growth, deepen operations in key markets including Peru, Mexico, South Africa, and Israel, and prepare for expansion into the United States and other Latin American countries, as well as additional crops.
BloomX develops advanced technological platforms for pollination optimization in agriculture, addressing the critical and often neglected aspect of food production. The company's solutions combine robotics and AI to transform pollination from a nature-dependent process into a managed agricultural input. Their technologies, operating on a Pollination-as-a-Service model, have demonstrated significant value for growers, including ACP and Fruitlist (Agrovision) in Peru, Allesbeste in South Africa, and Granot Group in Israel. These systems have shown an average yield increase of approximately 20%, along with improvements in fruit size and quality, and a rapid return on investment for farmers.
The company was founded by CEO Thai Shahd, CTO Avi Keren, and VP of Software Development Ido Senesh. BloomX employs 19 people, 15 of whom are based in Rosh Ha'ayin. The startup's technologies include the Robee system for blueberries, which mimics buzz pollination, and the Yahav 2400 system for avocado orchards, which uses high-voltage electrodes to create an electric field for pollen transfer. These systems can cover up to 35 dunams per day per operator and function effectively even in extreme weather conditions that prevent natural pollination by bees.
BloomX aims to provide farmers with unprecedented operational and economic certainty in pollination, a critical link in fruit production that has historically been dependent on nature. The company seeks to enable the world to grow more food, of higher quality, in a sustainable manner adapted to the changing climate reality. Investors highlighted BloomX's dynamic technological solution, which integrates robotics, AI, and deep biological understanding, and its development in collaboration with agricultural clients to meet existing demand.