Innovative Agtech company Upside Robotics, a previous winner of AgFunder’s Innovation Challenge, has developed a solution that helps corn farmers apply the right type and amount of fertilizer. Co-founders Jana Tian and Sam Dugan started the company on a dream. These innovations have led to the development of lightweight, solar-powered autonomous robots that deliver careful, targeted doses of fertilizer and nutrients directly to plants during their growing season.
The pair first got acquainted at the Entrepreneurs First accelerator. It didn’t take long for them to connect through their mutual aspiration of eliminating fertilizer waste with cutting-edge robotics. Their efforts are already reaping dividends! In fact, customers deploying Upside Robotics’ technology are already realizing over a 70% decrease in their fertilizer applications. This all adds up to a huge reduction in costs—enabling farmers to conserve around $150 per acre per year. Those such savings have a tremendous effect on their bottom lines.
Upside Robotics is currently covering 70 acres and aspires to expand its reach to cover 1200 acres in 2025. Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the company expects to be on over 3,000 acres. This goal is a testament to its explosive growth and the increasing demand for its services. The company has already garnered interest from over 200 farms that are on its waitlist, illustrating the strong market need for sustainable farming solutions.
“We did our manual applications in year one, and that allowed us to iterate super fast, not just on the hardware side, but learning by being with the farmers,” said Tian. The hands-on approach extended to their agriculture. This was a way that they were able to farm vetternnn, even lacking previous wealth and experience.
Upside Robotics’ technology is a great fit for the corn industry. This crop might be the most credited with the heavy need for fertilizers. The robots accomplish this by providing nutrients at the best possible times to increase efficiency and decrease waste. This innovative solution addresses a pressing issue in modern agriculture: balancing crop yield with environmental sustainability.
Not to mention, since the company’s founding, Upside Robotics has boasted a 100% customer retention rate. We think this success is due to the concrete, bottom-line benefits that farmers feel with their autonomous robots. According to Tian, “People always question if farmers are going to adopt new solutions, and they certainly are, and that’s something that we’ve learned firsthand, as long as you can provide them with a clear return on investment and a clear reason of why this technology was built.”
The firm recently made headlines by participating in the $7.5 million seed round for his company, which Plural led. This funding will supercharge its growth to expand deeper into the U.S. corn belt, beyond Canada. This smart expansion focuses on one of the biggest ag markets in North America. It will expand Upside Robotics’ relationship with industry and further solidify their position within the industry.
To be able to move from farm to farm, Tian and Dugan purchased a used camper trailer. This uniquely positioned them to run responsive field trials, honing their technology in the process. “We actually bought a camper trailer, and we moved around field to field,” Dugan explained. This commitment to understanding farmers’ needs has allowed Upside Robotics to develop solutions that genuinely address challenges in crop management.
The company’s novel approach to cropping systems is helping ensure the long-term profitability of farmers while playing a role in national and global agricultural sustainability goals. Upside Robotics has been a long-time advocate for smart and efficient fertilizer application. This farming method greatly minimizes the negative environmental effects associated with conventional agricultural methods.
Leave a Reply