Agriculture-focused media, data and investment firm AgFunder has exited US-based agricultural robotics developer Root AI in an acquisition by large-scale greenhouse operator AppHarvest in a deal sized at about $60m.
The transaction consisted of approximately $10m in cash and the rest in the form AppHarvest shares. Josh Lessing, co-founder and CEO of Root AI, will become AppHarvest’s chief technology officer and its 19 full-time employees are all expected to join the acquiring company.
Root AI has developed a harvesting robot called Virgo which can identify and harvest multiple types of crops such as tomatoes, peppers and strawberries. It raised $7.2m in a seed round in August 2020 featuring AgFunder, PJC, First Round Capital, Outsiders Fund, Accomplice and Jason Calacanis.
Investors including First Round Capital, Accomplice, Schematic Ventures, Liquid2 Ventures and Half Court Ventures had already provided $2.3m for the company in 2018.