California Ag Network

Tag: UC ANR Innovate

  • UC ANR Connect Seeks Ag Tech for California Crops

    Applications are now open for UC ANR Connect, a grower-informed commercialization program operated by UC ANR Innovate, the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with ag tech venture firm Farmhand Ventures. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 18.

    Selected companies receive commercialization support, direct feedback from California growers and agricultural professionals, industry connections and the opportunity to demonstrate their technology live at a field day.

    The current application cycle is focused on commercially available technologies for permanent crops, including fresh fruit, table grapes, pistachios, desert vegetables, berries, citrus and avocados.

    “Entering the California market requires more than a strong technology. Companies need to understand how farmers make decisions, how their products fit into agricultural operations and what it takes to earn trust,” said Helle Petersen, director of UC ANR Innovate. “UC ANR Connect gives companies a structured way to build that understanding while developing relationships across California agriculture.”

    The program begins with challenges identified by California growers and agricultural professionals. UC ANR Innovate’s advisory board and agricultural partners help define priority needs and evaluate whether applicants have commercially available solutions that are relevant to those needs.

    Participants engage directly with growers, UC Cooperative Extension advisors, researchers and industry partners through customer-discovery conversations and feedback sessions. That input helps companies refine their value proposition, strengthen their market positioning and communicate more effectively with the people who may use, recommend or support their products.

    “The unique thing about our program is that it starts with grower priorities based on their biggest operational constraints,” said Hannah Johnson, industry lead for UC ANR Connect. “We are looking for teams that have solutions to those problems and are ready to build lasting relationships in California agriculture.”

    The program culminates in a live field-day demonstration, where companies show their technology in an agricultural setting, explain how it works and answer questions from growers and other attendees. The demonstrations give companies immediate, practical feedback while allowing growers to evaluate emerging technologies before considering adoption.

    During its first two years, UC ANR Connect has worked with 55 companies through eight program cycles and brought more than 1,000 growers, researchers, agricultural professionals and industry representatives to its field days.

    Past participants have included Carbon Robotics, Verdant Robotics, Sami Robotics, Bonsai Robotics and Verdi Ag, with technologies spanning weed control, equipment automation, irrigation management, mechanical pollination, disease detection and harvest assistance.

    Applications must be submitted by Sept. 18, 2026. Learn more and apply at ucanr.edu/site/uc-anr-innovate/ucanr-connect.

    UC ANR Innovate will host a virtual information session for prospective applicants and other interested stakeholders on Sept. 10, 2026, at 8 a.m. PDT. The webinar will explain how the program works, who should apply, how companies are selected and what participating companies can expect.

    Register for the webinar at https://ucanr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5x2lvlO-SjWcQjUIW3PFdQ#/registration.

  • Registration Opens for 2026 Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge, the only collegiate agricultural robotics competition of its kind, is officially launching its 2026 season. Registration is now open for undergraduate and graduate student teams from two-year and four-year colleges and universities across the United States and worldwide.

    The competition tasks students with designing, prototyping and field-testing robotics and AI-driven solutions to tackle real challenges facing modern agriculture. The Challenge is organized by UC ANR Innovate, the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS).

    “What makes the Farm Robotics Challenge unique is that students work directly with farmers to identify and solve real problems,” said Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC ANR and founder of UC ANR Innovate. “Teams are developing practical solutions growers can put to work, and the hands-on experience prototyping and field-testing prepares students for careers in agricultural technology, while helping address some of the pressing challenges our growers face today.”

    Lead sponsor the Reservoir to award Grand Prize investment

    The Challenge is pleased to announce a partnership with the Reservoir, a leading early-stage venture capital investor and robotics incubator dedicated to accelerating real-world agricultural technology. The Reservoir joins this year as a lead sponsor, bringing with it a commitment to help student innovations leap from concept to commercialization.

    As part of this partnership, the Reservoir will award a $50,000 Grand Prize investment to the winning team. This seed funding goes beyond a traditional competition prize, as it provides a powerful springboard for turning student-built prototypes into market-ready solutions with real agricultural impact.

    “The future of agriculture will be shaped by deep tech innovators who can move quickly from lab to field,” said Danny Bernstein, CEO of the Reservoir. “The Farm Robotics Challenge brings together the kind of early-stage talent we’re eager to back – engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs with the vision to tackle real problems and the grit to commercialize their solutions. By pairing this year’s $50,000 Grand Prize investment with our on-farm incubation and venture support, we aim to help these prototypes evolve into scalable companies delivering breakthrough technologies for growers.”

    Central to the competition is the expectation that student teams work directly with growers to identify prominent issues in agriculture that could be addressed using advanced robotics, AI and automation.

    “With this challenge, teams can target a broad range of agricultural activities, such as planting, weeding, harvesting, pest management and crop monitoring, as well as focused projects in data collection, mapping and on-farm automation,” said Steve Brown, associate director of the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems.

    Teams are encouraged to design and prototype solutions, using robotic platforms equipped with autonomous navigation systems, intelligent algorithms and custom attachments to address real-world agricultural problems. These projects are field-tested, ensuring that they are not only theoretically sound but also practically viable in production agriculture environments.

    Supported by leading technology partners such as Bonsai Robotics, the competition places strong emphasis on innovation, hands-on learning and collaboration with growers.

    “For the past four years, we’ve partnered with UC ANR Innovate and AIFS on the Farm Robotics Challenge because we believe the future of farming depends on the next generation of innovators. There are big problems to solve in how we grow our food, and we want these inventive, engineering minds focused on them,” said Brendan Dowdle, chief business officer at Bonsai Robotics. “Our robotics platform makes it easier to design, test and deploy AI, computer vision and autonomous systems. Every year, we’re inspired by the creativity and technical skill these students bring to the field, and the ideas just keep getting bigger. We can’t wait to see what they build next.”

    Prizes offered as part of multi-phase competition cycle

    The competition unfolds across several stages, beginning with the registration period starting in August, followed by a team formation and proposal research phase through October. Project proposals must be submitted by October 30, 2025.

    Teams then embark on a six-month development and testing phase, culminating in final project submissions due on May 3, 2026.

    The competition concludes with an awards ceremony set for May 20, 2026.

    Participation in the Farm Robotics Challenge offers numerous benefits. The competition will award over $100,000 in prizes across multiple categories, and select teams will be offered travel stipends to showcase their projects at FIRA USA, North America’s leading ag tech conference. Beyond the prizes, all participants gain access to a network of academic and industry professionals dedicated to building the future of farming.

    Throughout the competition, educational webinars will be available to help students stay informed about industry trends, develop entrepreneurial skills and gain valuable insights on topics such as intellectual property, company formation and venture capital financing, presented by experts from Morrison Foerster.

    “We are excited to partner with UC ANR Innovate and AIFS on the Farm Robotics Challenge,” said Michael Ward, co-head of the Morrison Foerster Food and Ag Practice. “To ensure that teams get their industry-changing ideas off the ground, it is critical that they have a solid understanding of the legal issues that arise when launching and growing a startup company in this field.”

    The webinars will feature interactive sessions designed to introduce teams to the legal knowledge needed to start and grow a business, protect their innovations and navigate the challenging regulatory landscape.

    “We will offer free confidential office hours to all competition participants to answer legal questions and provide guidance on moving their ideas into a company and taking steps to commercialization,” said Mitchell Presser, co-head of the Morrison Foerster Food and Ag Practice.

    Throughout the competition, student teams develop practical skills at the intersection of technology and agriculture, expand their professional networks and engage with a distinguished panel of evaluators and innovators.

    Past competitions have featured over 40 teams from across the U.S. and abroad, with previous winners including UC Davis, University of Georgia, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Olin College of Engineering (click to view past results).

    For those interested in participating, prospective teams are advised to assemble members with a range of technical expertise and secure a faculty or staff advisor. The next step is to partner with a grower to identify a meaningful agricultural problem and then design and rigorously test a solution using advanced robotics and AI.

    Comprehensive information, official rules and regular updates can be found on the Farm Robotics Challenge website. You can also register to participate in the Farm Robotics Challenge Info Session Webinar on September 10 at 4 p.m. (PDT).

    New for the 2025-26 academic year is the Farm Robotics Academy, intended for secondary school students. The Academy aims to equip both educators and students with knowledge and skills in leading-edge technologies that are reshaping the agricultural landscape. Learn more at https://www.farmroboticsacademy.ai/.

    Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge is organized by UC ANR Innovate and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, with lead support from the Reservoir, technology partner Bonsai Robotics, as well as Western Growers, Morrison Foerster, F3 Innovate, Taylor Farms, Beck’s Hybrids, Google.org, the California Tomato Research Institute, Linak U.S., and Plug and Play. The competition challenges college-level teams to identify and solve real-world agricultural problems using advanced robotics technology.

    For more information about the Farm Robotics Challenge, including details on how to participate or sponsor, visit https://farmroboticschallenge.ai.

    UC ANR Innovate

    UC ANR Innovate brings together people, resources and ideas to accelerate agricultural, food and biotech innovation in California. UC ANR Innovate develops practical technologies, generates research and policy insights, prepares a future-ready workforce and builds the ecosystems and partnerships that make innovation possible: locally, regionally and globally.

    The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems

    The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) is a USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded research institute leveraging artificial intelligence to solve the world’s biggest challenges to crop and food production: ensuring a sustainable, nutritious, efficient and safe food supply while mitigating the impacts of changing conditions. For more information, visit https://aifs.ucdavis.edu.

    The Reservoir

    The Reservoir is a startup incubator and venture capital fund focused on helping ag tech startups succeed where agriculture happens – in the field. Reservoir Farms is the world’s first on-farm robotics incubator, starting in the Salinas Valley and expanding to other key regions like the Central Valley. Reservoir Ventures backs startups solving real problems in high-value crops. By combining R&D space, hands-on grower input and early-stage capital, the Reservoir helps turn promising ideas into tools for the growers who feed the world. Learn more at https://reservoir.co.

    Bonsai Robotics

    Bonsai Robotics is reimagining the agricultural industry with its AI-first platform that makes autonomous farming affordable, easy to use, and deployable across all farm equipment – whether retrofitted onto existing machines or built into next generation solutions. Its acquisition of farm-ng in 2025 combines its leading, vision-based autonomy software with modular, electric robotics to deliver next-generation machines adaptable for a wide range of crops, tasks and environments. Bonsai empowers growers to monitor and manage all farm equipment – new or legacy, autonomous or not – through a single, intuitive app. Learn more at www.bonsairobotics.ai.

    Morrison Foerster

    Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm, with clients including some of the most innovative companies – from trailblazing startups to Fortune 100 enterprises. Morrison Foerster is the firm for Food + Agriculture, representing stakeholders across the value chain, from scientists in labs optimizing plant genetics, to farmers nurturing crops, to ag tech pioneers revolutionizing farm technology, to CPG companies and global brands selling your favorite foods. With unmatched scientific depth and deep sector knowledge, Morrison Foerster has helped shape the sector for over two decades. For more information, visit www.mofo.com.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.

    To read more UC ANR news, visit our newsroom at ucanr.edu/News.

  • Startups to Showcase Irrigation, Robotics, Pest-Detection Tech June 26

    Six innovative ag tech startup companies have been selected to participate in VINE Connect, a program that vets and connects emerging agricultural technology with growers who can put it to use. California growers continue to face pressing issues, from persistent drought and limited labor to crop pest concerns. These startups were chosen for their promising solutions to key challenges in California agriculture, including water, labor, disease management and pollination.

    The program – run by UC ANR Innovate, the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with Farmhand Ventures – will host a free public Field Day on Thursday, June 26, at the UC West Side Research and Extension Center in Fresno County, where the selected companies will demonstrate their technologies.

    “VINE Connect is about ensuring California farmers have access to new technologies that solve real problems on the farm,” said Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR’s chief innovation officer. “These six startups are developing solutions for challenges like water conservation, labor shortages, crop disease and more. We believe that by testing their innovations with growers, we can help make sure the technology truly works for farmers’ needs.”

    The six ag tech startups participating in the VINE Connect Field Day are:

    • HotSpot AG – A California-based company making irrigation management smarter and simpler. HotSpot AG’s system allows farmers to remotely monitor and control irrigation pumps, engines and valves via cloud-based technology, use real-time field data to schedule watering, and receive alerts to issues.
    • Spornado – Creators of an early-warning disease detection device. The Spornado sampler is a passive spore trap that detects crop disease pathogens in the air long before symptoms appear on plants. Farmers place the inexpensive device in the field, send in the collected filter for analysis, and get timely alerts if threats like mildew or late blight spores are detected.
    • Edete Precision Technologies – An ag tech firm addressing the pollination crisis with mechanical pollination services, currently offering its first commercial service for pistachios. Edete allows growers to manage pollination with the same control as irrigation by delivering precise amounts of pure, genetically fit pollen at optimal bloom times. Edete plans to expand its services to provide solutions for bee-pollinated crops like almonds and cherries, offering an alternative or supplement to natural pollination, reducing dependence on bees and helping stabilize crop yields amid growing pollination challenges.
    • CropVue Technologies – A provider of integrated pest and crop monitoring tools. CropVue deploys networks of “smart traps” and in-field climate sensors to give growers daily data on insect pest pressure and crop conditions. High-resolution cameras and AI software identify pests caught in traps (such as moths in a vineyard), while canopy-level weather units track temperature, humidity and microclimate trends. The system delivers real-time pest counts and microclimate data to a web app, helping farmers anticipate pest pressure and make informed IPM decisions with less manual scouting.
    • Verdi – Developer of a precision irrigation and farm automation platform. Verdi combines easy-to-install hardware (wireless valve controllers and sensors) with a farmer-friendly software app to automate irrigation at scale. The technology enables precision water delivery by zone, monitors system performance (detecting leaks or blockages) and integrates with soil moisture data.
    • Bonsai Robotics – A startup bringing autonomy to farm equipment. Bonsai Robotics retrofits orchard machinery (like nut tree shakers and sweepers) with advanced vision and control systems, turning them into self-driving machines. Their autonomous equipment can operate 24/7 in orchards, even in dusty or GPS-denied environments, to shake trees or clear orchard floors without a person at the wheel.
    HotSpot AG’s system allows farmers to remotely monitor and control irrigation pumps, engines and valves. Photo courtesy of HotSpot AG

    The VINE Connect program supports these startups by facilitating direct engagement with farmers and real-world field trials. Participants benefit from expert-led business development and field trial workshops, grower feedback, networking opportunities, and guidance from UC ANR and industry experts to refine their products and accelerate the path from early-stage development to market adoption.

    “Each of these companies has proven technology that could make a real difference for growers,” said Hannah Johnson, industry lead for UC ANR Innovate. “Demonstrating their solutions on the farm and hearing directly from growers give them an opportunity to refine their innovations to better serve farmers’ needs. It’s a two-way street: startups get priceless feedback to improve their products, and farmers get a sneak peek at tools that might improve their operation’s profitability and sustainability.”

    “Startups need direct engagement with growers to make sure their solutions fit the realities of the farm,” said Connie Bowen, founder of Farmhand Ventures, which co-runs the VINE Connect program. “This program is designed to bridge that gap by bringing technology developers and farmers together on the ground. By testing new ag tech in real farming conditions, we’re encouraging collaboration that speeds up adoption of the most useful innovations.”

    The six companies will showcase their innovations during the VINE Connect Field Day on June 26, 2025, at the UC West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points, Fresno County. The field day will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and feature live demonstrations of each technology in a farm setting. This free, public event offers growers, agricultural professionals, media and community members an opportunity to see the latest ag tech solutions working in the field and to interact directly with the startup teams and UC ANR researchers.

    This field day is sponsored in part by F3 Local, a regional initiative committed to strengthening California’s food and farming economy through practical, farmer-focused innovation. Their support helps ensure that growers in the Central Valley have early access to new tools and technologies aimed at improving resilience and profitability.

    To attend, please register at https://bit.ly/VINEconnectJune2025.

    UC ANR Innovate is the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, dedicated to driving agriculture, food and biotechnology innovation in California. We connect people, ideas and resources to tackle real-world challenges and drive progress that empowers entrepreneurs, strengthens industries and secures a thriving, inclusive future for California’s agriculture, its workers and its communities.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.