$22m raised to improve remote water monitoring on farms

Farmbot, an Australian company that helped improve remote water monitoring for farms and stations, has raised over AU$22 million to invest in the future of farming.

Founded in Sydney in 2014, Farmbot has grown from a home-grown idea into a business used on thousands of properties across the country, and increasingly around the world.

The new capital will help the company do more for Australian farmers and graziers while it continues its international growth including in the US, where it operates as Ranchbot.

“This is an important milestone for our company and our dedicated team, who have worked for more than a decade to deliver solutions for farming and grazing communities across Australia,” said Andrew Coppin, co-founder and Executive Chairman. “This investment means we can put more people on the ground here at home, keep improving our hardware and software, and give our customers even more value. Together with our investors, we’re investing in the future of farming.”

Farmbot’s platform uses rugged sensors and near real-time satellite connectivity to let producers keep an eye on tanks, troughs, dams, pumps and rainfall straight from their phone, saving the long drives to check water and freeing up time for more important tasks.

The technology is now used by more than 12,000 customers who together manage around 10 million cattle and 15 million sheep over tens of millions of hectares.

“No farmer wants seven apps to run their property,” Coppin said. “Our job is to keep it simple and make the technology work together, so it saves time instead of adding to the workload.”

The raise was supported by a mix of Australian and international investors, including The Cultiv8 Livestock Technology Fund, established with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), and long-time backer Macdoch Ventures, reflecting growing confidence in Australian AgTech.

“Remote monitoring, sensing and AI integration are core infrastructure for modern livestock operations. Farmbot/Ranchbot provides producers with real-time intelligence on their critical assets including animals and water, helping to reduce risk, save time, save water and improve animal welfare,” said Mal Nutt, Founding Partner, Cultiv8 Livestock Technology Fund.

“We are excited to support the Farmbot team as they continue to deliver value to producers and the broader livestock sector.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Alina Barilo