“Shooting Weeds With Lasers”

Carbon Robotics is an AI robotics company that created the LaserWeeder, a machine that uses computer vision, AI technology, and robotics to distinguish and eliminate weeds.

🔗Check them out here: carbonrobotics.com

 The Macro 

Weeds are agriculture's arch-nemesis, costing farmers billions annually and causing more headaches than a vineyard's worth of wine can solve.

The traditional solutions? Either spray chemicals everywhere or hire workers to pull weeds by hand (hello, labor shortage!). Neither option is particularly great for anyone involved.

• The smart weeding robots market was valued at $1.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $11.1 billion by 2030 at a 23.8% CAGR.

• The agricultural robotics market overall is growing fast. It was worth $14.74 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $51 billion by 2029, growing at 25.2% CAGR.

• Labor shortages are pushing automation in farming, with many regions struggling to find workers.

• Herbicide resistance is another major issue. Over 250 weed species have developed resistance to herbicides worldwide, forcing farmers to seek alternatives.

Competitors

• WeedBot

• Escarda Technologies

• Verdant Robotics

• Stout (mechanical weeding)

• Farmwise (mechanical weeding)

 The Impact 

Carbon Robotics looked at this age-old problem and thought, "You know what this needs? Lasers. Lots of them."

They are developing cutting-edge robotic solutions that integrate AI, computer vision, and automation to enhance agricultural efficiency.

Their flagship product, the LaserWeeder, is exactly what it sounds like – a robot that zaps weeds with precision lasers. It has already eliminated over 10 billion weeds across three continents.

The Secret Sauce

What makes the LaserWeeder special isn't just its pew-pew capabilities (though those are pretty cool). It's the combination of AI, computer vision, and automation that makes this thing a weed-hunting terminator.

Picture this: 30 high-powered lasers working in concert, processing 4.7 million images per hour using NVIDIA GPUs, identifying and eliminating up to 300,000 weeds per hour with millimeter precision. Crazy, right?

Here you have some real life experiences:

• Grower Stories | Gemüsebau Großhans (YouTube)

• Grower Stories | Planète Végéta (YouTube)

• Grower Stories | Gills Onions (YouTube)

The Sequel

Even crazier than that, they just unveiled the upgraded version, the laserweeder G2, which addresses many of the original's pain points. It's faster, lighter, and more efficient. They've even added Starlink connectivity, because even farming robots need good internet these days.

The G2 comes in 5 different configurations:

Here you can see its effectiveness:

Carbon's Tesla-like Software Play

Remember when cars were just... cars? Then Tesla came along and made them rolling computers?

Carbon Robotics is pulling the same move in agriculture, and it's chef's kiss brilliant.

They created a complete software package that makes their LaserWeeder more than just a weed-killing machine. The system has three main parts that work together to help farmers manage their fields better.

First, there's the Carbon Ops Center, which is basically Mission Control for your farm. It collects data from the LaserWeeder and shows farmers exactly what's happening in their fields. You can see:

• Weed density heat maps

• Weed identification

• Crop metrics.

Second, there's an iPad app that makes it easy to control the LaserWeeder. You can watch the machine work in real-time and quickly fix any problems that come up. The app now works in English, Spanish, and French, so more farmers can use it.

Third, there's a customer portal where you can log in to see detailed information about the fields. It shows exactly where weeds were found and killed, this way you can compare weed problems from one year to the next.

Here's where it gets properly Silicon Valley

The whole system gets better over time through Over-the-air(OTA) software updates.

Recent updates have made the machine work twice as fast and better at spotting weeds and optimizing energy consumption.

Farmers don't have to do anything – the updates happen automatically.

They keep improving the system and plan to add new features like: crop health analysis and harvest yields predictions.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving

Why This Matters Now

We're watching a perfect storm of factors making this technology increasingly relevant:

• Environmental regulations are getting stricter

• Labor costs are rising

• Consumers are demanding chemical-free produce

• Traditional herbicides are facing growing resistance (both regulatory and biological)

The ripple effects are fascinating. Big chemical companies like Bayer and Corteva are being forced to pivot. The agricultural job market is shifting from manual labor to tech-savvy operators. Even the soil is benefiting, as laser weeding doesn't disturb it like mechanical methods do.

The economics. With traditional weed control, Farmers typically blow about 40% of their weed control budget just on herbicides. The LaserWeeder, while expensive upfront (we're talking serious capital investment here), should pay for itself in 2-3 years through savings on chemicals and labor.

It's the classic "spend money to make money" play.

 The Business 

Business Model

Carbon Robotics generates revenue through:

• Product Sales: Direct sales of its robotic systems, primarily the LaserWeeder.

• Service Contracts: Annual fees for software updates and customer support.

The company has not disclosed specific revenue figures but reported that its revenue doubled over the past year.

Traction

• The LaserWeeder has reportedly eliminated over 10 billion weeds across more than 100 crop types globally.

• The company serves customers across North America, Europe, and Australia, with plans for expansion into Asia-Pacific regions.

• Carbon Robotics was recognized on the 2024 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, highlighting its innovative impact on agriculture.

Fundraising

Known Funding Details:

• Series A (2019) - $8.9M led by Bolt, Ignition Partners

• Series B (Sept 2021): $27M led by Anthos Capital

• Series C (Apr 2023): $30M led by Sozo Ventures

• Series D (Oct 2024): $70M led by BOND

Rounds with Undisclosed Amounts:

• Seed Funding (2018) - Unknown

• Additional Investment from NVentures (May 2024) - Amount undisclosed, but confirmed participant was NVIDIA's venture capital arm

Total Funding is up to $157 Millions

Founder Story

Paul Mikesell is a serial tech entrepreneur and the founder/CEO of Carbon Robotics, a Seattle-based agricultural technology company. After earning his Computer Science degree from the University of Washington, he founded several successful ventures including Isilon Systems (acquired for $2.25B) and Clustrix (acquired by MariaDB). He also held leadership positions at Uber and Facebook Reality Labs.

Inspired by farmers' challenges with weed control, Mikesell founded Carbon Robotics to revolutionize agriculture through AI and robotics.

Jobs

A wide variety of job openings are available.

You can check them out here: carbonrobotics.com/job-openings

Our Analysis

Weed control is a massive pain point in agriculture. Herbicides are losing effectiveness, regulators are cracking down, and labor is both expensive and scarce. The industry is desperate for alternatives. Carbon Robotics thinks lasers are the answer.

The premise is bold—no chemicals, no workers, just AI-powered precision eliminating weeds at scale. But the real question isn't whether it works. The question is whether it scales.

While the $1M+ price tag is steep, Carbon Robotics claims a 2-3 year payback period through savings on labor and herbicides. To boost adoption, they've introduced a leasing model, making the tech more accessible to mid-sized farms.

The new modular model found new markets, instead of only targeting high-value crops like lettuce and onions, they can now work with row crops like soybeans and potatoes, which is a massive challenge.

However, success hinges on several factors:

• Farmers need clear evidence of long-term savings.

• Can it withstand real-world farming conditions over multiple seasons?

• Competition:Rivals like Blue River's See & Spray and FarmWise's automated weeders offer alternative approaches.

As Carbon Robotics continues to develop their technology and expand their market presence, their success will depend on demonstrating consistent value to farmers. Their foundation in robotics and AI also suggests potential for additional agricultural applications in the future.

More Resources

• Carbon Robotics Technology Overview with CEO and Founder Paul Mikesell (YouTube)

• The Modern Acre Podcast 385(YouTube)

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