Agricultural startup Barnstorm Agtech Inc. has raised $217,500 in equity capital through Harvest Returns’ investment platform to revolutionize farming with autonomous field systems.
With the funds, Barnstorm hopes to bring tech-centered farming processes to the U.S. Midwest and Canadian Prairies using swarms of driverless robotic tractors.
CEO and co-founder Parker Wells explained that chronic labor scarcity in rural areas had been a prevalent issue in the agricultural industry. He came up with the idea to solve that problem based on his experience as a farmer.
“I’m a 4th generation farmer managing 6,000 acres out in Saskatchewan. The need for what Barnstorm is doing is very much driven by my pain points,” said Wells.
Barnstorm’s technology
Founded in 2020, Barnstorm has a presence in the U.S., Canada and India, offering agricultural technology solutions to many farmers in the countries. Designed by robotics expert and co-founder Mitchell London, its Barnstormer™ robotic tractors run farming activities, such as seeding, spraying and tillage.
Barnstormers feature a unique form factor that enables efficient multi-vehicle transport. The team is developing programming APIs and a telemetry stack to further simplify farming activities by allowing integration with modern precision farming solutions.
Support from AgTech community
Wells said the deal with Harvest Returns was “important” for the company’s development. Besides Harvest, most of Barnstorm’s funding came from ventures focusing on disruptive technology, including robotics and autonomy. These include Innovation Saskatchewan, an agency of the Government of Saskatchewan, Canada.
“We very much appreciate the professionalism and integrity of the team at Harvest Returns who helped coordinate our fundraising efforts within this vital community,” Wells said.
In 2021, the Saskatchewan government awarded Barnstorm a $350,000 grant for helping farmers run their operations efficiently and at minimum cost using advanced driverless robotic tractors. That year, Barnstorm also raised $1 million in seed funding from individual and angel investors.
