Verdi, a Canada-based agriculture technology company focused on making irrigation automation more accessible, has raised US$ 4.7 million ($6.5 million CAD) in an oversubscribed seed funding round. This new round brings the company’s total capital raised to $9.5 million CAD. The capital injection follows a period of rapid expansion for Verdi and positions the company to accelerate the deployment of its irrigation automation solutions across broader agricultural regions.
The investment round was led by THRIVE (by SVG Ventures), with participation from NEC X, Ponderosa Ventures (a member of Galvanize Climate Solutions’ platform), Elemental Impact, Waterpoint Lane and other investors.
Verdi’s technology is currently deployed across more than 5,000 acres of farmland in North America and is used by some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies. The company’s approach allows growers to adopt advanced irrigation tools without having to overhaul existing infrastructure.
Automation Delivered Through Retrofit Technology
Verdi’s technology aims to address the long-standing barriers in agricultural automation, particularly the need for expensive and complex infrastructure changes. The company has developed patented smart devices that retrofit onto current irrigation systems. According to the company, this retrofit model allows farms to access intelligent automation without undertaking disruptive or costly upgrades. The system includes features such as remote leak detection and row-level irrigation control, enhancing both efficiency and oversight for growers.
The adaptability of Verdi’s solution has been central to its adoption, especially for farms operating on legacy systems. The company reports that its platform has led to up to 90% savings in labor, 70% reductions in water usage, and 20% improvements in yield. It has also reduced the cost of automation by a significant factor, making such technology viable for a wider range of farming operations.
Operational Impact and Resource Savings
In 2024, Verdi’s clients saved over $1 million in irrigation-related labor costs and conserved more than 100 million liters of water. These outcomes have been achieved through the deployment of a system that enables growers to control irrigation more precisely, reduce manual intervention, and identify inefficiencies in water distribution. This has contributed not only to lower operational costs but also to better resource stewardship in an increasingly climate-sensitive agricultural environment.
Strategic Growth and Team Expansion
The company has experienced considerable internal growth alongside its market expansion. Over the past year, Verdi has more than doubled its team, which now comprises 24 professionals with expertise in agronomy, hardware design and AI-powered software. This multidisciplinary team is focused on developing, refining, and scaling Verdi’s automation platform to support more farms and address diverse agricultural needs.
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Verdi’s CEO and Co-founder Arthur Chen emphasized the company’s mission to tackle entrenched adoption challenges in farm automation.
“Our mission is to overcome the traditional adoption barriers that have prevented farmers from scaling irrigation automation, and in turn allow them to increase farm efficiency and resilience. This round fuels our ability to scale rapidly and continue delivering impact where it matters most – on the farm.”
SVG Ventures, which led the round, highlighted the importance of Verdi’s model in the context of agricultural resilience.
“We invested in Verdi because they’re solving one of agriculture’s biggest challenges – climate resilience – through a solution that is not only innovative but also practical and scalable. Their ability to integrate with existing farm infrastructure makes their platform a game-changer for growers looking to stay competitive in a changing world.”
The combination of scalable technology and compatibility with existing systems has made Verdi attractive to a broad base of investors with a focus on climate resilience, resource efficiency, and practical deployment.
Platform Enhancement and Market Expansion
With the new funding, Verdi plans to expand its operations into additional regions, enhance the capabilities of its AI-powered irrigation platform, and strengthen partnerships with major agribusiness firms. The focus will remain on advancing the practical application of automation in farming and supporting growers in managing the economic and environmental pressures of modern agriculture.
By investing in platform innovation and deepening relationships across the supply chain, Verdi aims to support a broader shift toward more efficient and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
