Tunisia’s RoboCare lands six-figure backing
AI farming startup funding to drive Africa and Middle East expansion
#Tunisia #agritech — Tunisia-based agricultural technology company RoboCare has secured a six-figure investment from Tunisia venture capital firm 216 Capital, to fund its expansion across Africa and the Middle East. RoboCare’s AI-powered precision agriculture platform delivers up to 35 percent water savings, a 25 percent cut in agricultural inputs, and a 20 percent increase in crop yields. The Sfax-founded startup will use the funding to enter new markets, grow its commercial teams, and refine its AI models for different agricultural environments.
SO WHAT? — This is not a large deal by global venture capital standards, but it points to where African and Middle Eastern agritech investment is heading. Locally-built AI models trained on regional crops and conditions, have a different propositon compared to generalist platforms adapted from elsewhere. RoboCare’s focus on olive trees, cereals and processing tomatoes, crops that matter economically across MEA, gives it a niche that it can compete in against larger global agritech players.
KEY POINTS:
Tunisia-based agritech RoboCare has secured a six-figure investment from venture capital firm 216 Capital, to support its next growth phase and expansion into Africa and the Middle East.
RoboCare was founded in Sfax, Tunisia, in 2020 by Dr Imen Hbiri, and builds an AI platform combining satellite imagery, drone data, IoT sensors, weather data and field expertise.
The platform enables early detection of crop disease and stress, helping farmers cut water use by up to 35 percent, reduce agricultural inputs by up to 25 percent, and raise yields by up to 20 percent.
RoboCare specialises in crops strategic to the MENA region, including olive trees, cereals and processing tomatoes, building its AI models from local data rather than adapting generalist platforms.
The company already monitors several thousand hectares under intelligent surveillance and has generated thousands of agronomic alerts for farmers and agribusiness operators.
RoboCare has built partnerships with institutional players and is gaining visibility within international agritech networks, according to the company.
The new funding will go towards three priorities: entering new markets in Africa and the Middle East, strengthening commercial teams to win over major agribusiness clients, and improving AI models for new agricultural contexts.
Tunisia venture capital firm 216 Capital said the investment fits its strategy of backing tech startups addressing economic, social and environmental challenges across Africa.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: RoboCare
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