Andrew Bate

Cheque-in: 8 ANZ startups banked $53.46 million in funding this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian and New Zealand funding rounds totalling about $53.5 million, led by SwarmFarm Robotics' $30 million Series B for its farm robots.

Eight ANZ startups that raised $53.56 million this week

Funding roundup: eight trans-Tasman startups together secured $53.56 million, topped by SwarmFarm Robotics' Series B, with Amber, Javln, Enhance Labs, Indi, Wych, Lift Women and Ambra Spirits also raising capital.

Clean Energy Finance Corporation ploughs $7 million into Queensland robotics agtech's $30m Series B

Agtech robotics firm SwarmFarm raised a $30m Series B led by Edaphon, with CEFC, QIC and Artesian taking part, to boost production and push into North America.

SwarmFarm Robotics harvests $30 million for its farm bot fleet

Queensland agricultural robotics firm SwarmFarm has raised a Series B led by a European backer, with several local investors taking part, to expand robot production and enter the North American market.

Also @AuManufacturing·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews

NBN and Starlink are ramping up the bandwidth battle for rural Australia

NBN Co's faster Sky Muster trial and Starlink's Oceania speed results signal a rural bandwidth contest, with SwarmFarm and Zetifi founders describing connectivity struggles and their recent raises.

Also GrainCorp Ventures·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Techboard·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing

SwarmFarm raises $12 million to help bridge the gap between farmers and autonomous technology

Queensland robotics startup SwarmFarm closed a $12 million Series A led by Conexus Venture Capital, following an earlier grant and a 2020 raise, to scale its autonomous farming platform.

Also Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews·AgFunderNews

The Three Categories of Autonomy in Agriculture, with Andrew Bate, SwarmFarm Robotics

Podcast episode where SwarmFarm Robotics co-founder and CEO Andrew Bate outlines three emerging categories of agricultural autonomy; the publisher discloses it is an investor in the company.

Tenacious Ventures closes first agrifood tech fund, oversubscribed at $35m

Tenacious Ventures closed its debut agrifood tech fund oversubscribed at A$35 million, after a March 2020 first close of just over $20 million backed by the CEFC's Clean Energy Innovation Fund and Grok Ventures.

Also Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·AgFunderNews·evokeag.com·farmingahead.com.au·Dynamic Business·agriinvestor.com·@AuManufacturing·AgFunderNews·globalaginvesting.com·@AuManufacturing·globalventuring.com

SwarmFarm raises $3.2m to grow its open platform for ag robotics

An Australian agricultural robotics maker has secured a multi-million-dollar round led by two local venture firms, with a Queensland government fund also backing, to expand engineering, production and its robot app ecosystem.

Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany

Investment Notes: Swarm Farm Robotics

Tenacious Ventures' investment memo on SwarmFarm Robotics, the agricultural robotics startup it co-backed with a A$4.5 million round, covering the SwarmBot platform, founders Andrew and Jocie Bate, and traction on Australian farms.

Also AgFunderNews·Cut Through Venture