farming, but with venture capital and a chip on its shoulder.
means the use of technology, software, and hardware to make growing food more efficient, predictable, and less dependent on luck.
from farmers have always adopted tools first, from the plow to the tractor to gps tractors, but agritech as a labeled industry emerged in the 2010s when silicon valley money started chasing soil sensors, drones, and vertical farms the same way it chased apps.
john deere autonomous tractors — self-driving tractors sold commercially since 2022
plenty unlimited — indoor vertical farming startup, backed by softbank, closed farms in 2024
climate corp — bought by monsanto for 1.1 billion dollars in 2013 for data on crop yields
israeli drip irrigation — netafim, invented in the 1960s, still irrigates 70 percent of israeli farms