BloomX, an Israeli agritech startup from Rishpon, raised $13 million in a Series A to expand the use of its robotic pollination systems. According to Ynet, the money will fund expansion in Latin America and entry into the US market.
How it works
Some crops, such as avocados and blueberries, depend heavily on pollination, and in many places there are not enough bees to pollinate them efficiently. BloomX develops robotic systems that work alongside bees, not instead of them, and complete pollination at stages where the bees fall short. According to the company, yields on farms where the systems were installed rose by about 20% on average.
Why it matters
Bee populations worldwide are hurt by disease, pesticides and climate change, and farmers pay more and more to rent hives. A solution that increases yields without replacing bees can save farmers money and make growing more stable. It also fits with other Israeli companies in the field, such as Beewise, whose robotic hives were just named to TIME's list of inventions.
Israeli agritech
Israel is one of the world leaders in agricultural technology, from drip irrigation to sensors and robotics. At a time when most tech money goes to AI and cybersecurity, BloomX is an example that investors are still willing to fund solutions to physical problems in the field.
