Fermata closes $10M Series A funding to build the brain of Ag

The funding will support Fermata's mission of transforming horticultural data into real intelligence. Fermata's suite of interconnected tools, each designed to address specific challenges faced by farmers, leverages diverse data sources and AI-driven insights to help growers make informed decisions

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fermata, a data science company specializing in computer vision agriculture solutions, closes $10 million in a Series A funding round backed by Raw Ventures. This investment will support the company's strategic vision of developing a centralized digital brain for the horticulture industry, allowing autonomous management of crops through advanced data analysis, creating an ever-evolving system that continuously learns from available data.

The agricultural industry is characterized by a dual challenge: on the one hand, much of it remains predominantly non-digital, with farmers relying on intuition and experience to identify and diagnose crop issues—an approach that is often time-consuming and imprecise. On the other hand, even in advanced greenhouses where tech solutions are implemented, the sheer volume of data generated can overwhelm growers, leaving them unable to extract meaningful insights. As a result, many continue to rely on traditional methods, rather than utilizing the potential of the data to make informed, actionable decisions.

Initially focusing on identifying pests and diseases, the funding will be used to expand Fermata's system into a command center for crop health, further developing its suite of AI-driven solutions to address a range of agricultural challenges. Using advanced data analytics, the system monitors a wide range of plant health factors, from fertilization to pollination status, with future capabilities set to include forecasting tools like yield prediction tracking. Fermata's Croptimus suite will process visuals collected through its products, and integrate third-party data sources to build more accurate models.

If a grower is already using solutions for data collection, this information could be integrated with Fermata's products in the future to generate advanced predictive insights. For growers not yet collecting data, cameras can be installed to monitor plant health. As visual data is gathered—whether from sensors or other sources—Fermata continuously uses it to refine and improve the accuracy of its insights and predictions. The company has already forged strategic collaborations with Microsoft, NVIDIA, Wageningen University, Bayer Crop Sciences, yieldsApp, and agRE.tech, and plans to continue partnering with industry leaders to expand its impact throughout the agritech sector.

These new capabilities build on Fermata's current offerings, as its Croptimus suite provides 24/7 crop monitoring through computer vision to ensure plants remain healthy while scouting for potential threats. This approach has already demonstrated the potential to generate 30 percent savings on lost crops, while minimizing the need to use harmful pesticides. Fermata's proprietary data allows them to build models that are not only accurate and highly efficient but also cost-effective to run, further enhancing the scalability of their solutions.

"Over the past five years, Fermata has been on a journey to discover the best applications of computer vision to meet growers' needs," says Valeria Kogan, Founder and CEO of Fermata. "We proudly call what we've built, 'The Eyes of Ag.' With the new funding, I'm thrilled to see Fermata scaling to bring all the other senses to the agricultural industry, ultimately evolving into its Brain. I'm happy we are a part of a global collaborative effort to shape the farming of tomorrow."

"Raw Ventures is proud to continue supporting Fermata, reaffirming our commitment to driving investments in sustainability," says Victoria Palatnik, managing partner of Raw Ventures. "As always, our support goes far beyond funding, providing substantial resources to help the company succeed. This latest funding round highlights Fermata's impressive achievements, including significant technological milestones, the development of impactful partnerships, and a transformative effort by its management team, which has guided the company from an early-stage startup toward becoming a resilient and mature business."

About Fermata

Fermata is focused on the application of data science and computer vision solutions to challenges faced by commercial agriculture. Engaged in extensive research since the company's founding in 2020, Fermata has now developed an adaptive computer vision platform designed to automatically detect pests and diseases at their earliest stages. This early-detection platform, known as Croptimus™, enables growers to reliably mitigate these issues in advance of the point crop loss becomes inevitable and further reduces the amount of time and money spent on traditional scouting. For more information, visit: https://www.fermata.tech.

Media Contact:
Inbar Kneller
ReBlonde for Fermata
[email protected] 

SOURCE Fermata