Since 2014, Israeli start-ups from agrotechnology and food technology sectors have raised $759 million in about 250 transactions, according to a new report by Start-Up Nation Central (SNC) and AgFunder, which follows other investments and exits in the high-tech industry.
In just one year - these investments skyrocketed to a whopping $220 million
Israel is now home to about 700 start-ups and companies in the fields of technology, agriculture, and food. 2017 was a record year for recruitment in various agro-tech sectors, with investments of $220 million in Israeli companies. In 2017-2018, most of the capital ($208 million in 52 transactions) was in the farm management (the arm management software) - sensors and IoT for the detection of diseases and pests in crops and irrigation water efficiency technologies. The largest investments attracted start-ups with advanced imaging technologies and complex sensor systems, including: Taranis, Prospera, SeeTree, FieldIn, Phytech, Stormas, Suplant and CropX.
Agrotechnology companies raised $148 million in 59 deals. Developments from this industry include AI identification of inputs, seed-based algorithm growth, no genetic engineering, and medicines for dairy cows.
The future is already here - leading the sustainability revolution in agriculture
The largest growth in 2017 and 2018 was in retail and restaurant technologies (including CommonSense Robotics with $20 million), online restaurants and food sets (including Genie with $10 million) and bioenergy & biomaterials technologies. This includes three companies with recycling technologies that raised millions of dollars in the early-stage development.
Israel - a global agro-tech giant
A combination of agricultural background, world-class agronomic institutions, and experience working with advanced military technology systems (data, simulations and aerial technologies) are pushing the Israeli Agrofood-Tech scene forward. The founders of the companies, who have grown up in kibbutzim (traditionally pioneering farming communities), have accumulated a great deal of experience during their lifetime to lead innovative agricultural solutions adapted to the farmers' comfort and constant efficiency. For these and other reasons, Israel has always had a natural advantage in agricultural innovation - and it represents the elite and most advanced agricultural technologies in the world.