Aigen

Aigen’s robotic weeder, Element, is a pesticide- and fossil fuel-free solution for farmers to eliminate herbicide-resistant weeds at scale. The company’s robotic fleet combines LTE connectivity and AI and ML technology, and is powered entirely by solar and wind. Equipped with sensors, cameras, and software that monitors and manages fields, Element autonomously navigates, uproots weeds with its two mechanical arms, and analyzes row crops to provide farmers with data insights for better management decisions. Element can weed 30 acres per week and operate continuously for up to 14 hours a day.

For now, Aigen offers its solution under a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model to control the end-to-end experience for its customers. The robots are delivered at the beginning of the season and picked up at the end, and Aigen maintains the fleet throughout the season so farmers don’t have to learn how to service the hardware themselves. Rates are dependent on crop and weed density, and farmers are charged per acre for the season. Farmers can track their fields via Aigen’s app, where they receive real-time crop updates. The company plans to offer additional services in its subscription plan over time, based on the data it collects.