New Reservoir program lowers barriers for ag robotics, AI startups

Reservoir Farms has introduced a new participation structure across its agricultural innovation network that includes a free entry-level tier designed to lower barriers to field testing, equipment access and commercialization support for emerging agricultural technologies.

According to the company, the new Associate tier complements Reservoir’s existing paid Member and Resident programs and is intended to provide startups, researchers, student teams and corporate R&D groups with access to on-farm testing opportunities at no cost.

“Reservoir aims to create dense hubs for innovation that accelerate productivity outcomes for growers and operators,” said Danny Bernstein, founder and CEO, Reservoir. “This new model moves us from a gated community to an open innovation ecosystem operating at global scale, where the farm is structured to welcome new ideas, daily activity and nascent projects.”

Reservoir Farms operates test farms that connect engineering, field testing, grower feedback and commercialization support. The company said it has seen strong interest from both established agricultural companies and startups developing AI-enabled robotics, automation and sensing technologies since opening locations in Salinas and Sonoma, California.

Under the updated participation structure, the company offers three levels:

• Associate (free): Provides access for startups, researchers, students, international visitors and corporate R&D teams seeking short-term field access and testing opportunities.
• Member ($3,000 per month): Includes shared farm access, workspace, advisory services, grower integration and networking opportunities.
• Resident ($5,000 per month for software startups; $6,000 per month for hardware startups): Provides dedicated acreage, workspace, machine shop access, storage, technical support and commercialization guidance.

The announcement comes as ag tech developers continue to face significant costs associated with bringing automation products to market. Reservoir cited estimates from Western Growers indicating that commercializing a new robotics or automation product can require investments of up to $100 million.

“AgTech wins in the field,” said Matthew Hoffman, general partner, Reservoir Farms. “Today, too many technology startups burn through capital working on problems that are misaligned with growers and industry needs. Reservoir closes the gap between startups and the industry they aspire to serve.”

Reservoir said the revised structure was developed in collaboration with growers seeking to accelerate innovation in their crop sectors while reducing barriers for technology developers to access real-world production environments.

The company also highlighted participation from organizations working on water and climate resilience technologies. Among them is Supercool Earth, a startup developing cloud-seeding technology aimed at addressing water scarcity.

“We see water security as critical infrastructure for the 21st century, and agriculture is on the front lines of that shift,” said Dacia Leon, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Supercool Earth. “By joining the Reservoir community, we can easily explore new opportunities alongside the people who feel these challenges first.”

Reservoir said it plans to continue expanding its network of research sites, industry partnerships and startup support programs focused on farm labor, automation, sustainability and weather-related agricultural challenges.

Source: Reservoir Farms