Tel-Aviv-based Tevel Aerobotics Technologies has raised $20 million through a Series B backed by Asian equipment giants Kubota and Forbon, and including Maverick Ventures Israel, OurCrowd, and AgFunder, as well as Ziv Aviram, co-founder of self-driving car startup Mobileye.
This round (the company’s third) brings the startup’s total funding to-date to $33.9 million, which includes a grant totaling $2.5 million issued by the Israeli Innovation Authority, and which gives the company a valuation of $45 million.
Founded in 2017, and led by founder and CEO Yaniv Maor, and chairman Eyal Desheh, Tevel develops autonomous flying robots that employ AI, computer vision, advanced robotics, aeronautical engineering, and flight control data through its FAR (Flying Autonomous Robots) platform.
Tevel’s network of interconnected drone robots are linked to a self-driving vehicle that also acts as the source of power. The robots use their AI capabilities to identify fruit types, level of ripeness, size, and condition. Using a one meter-long arm, the drones are able to pick fruit, or carry out thinning or pruning tasks across orchards.
