Blue River Tech raises $10m in funding

Blue River Technology, the agricultural robotics and software firm based in Mountain View, California, has raised $10 million in Series A-1 funding. The money comes from an investor syndicate led by Data Collective Venture Capital and comprising Innovation Endeavours and Khosla Ventures. All three venture capital firms are based in California.

Innovation Endeavours is joining as a new investor, while Khosla Ventures is an existing investor that contributed to Blue River’s last round of Series A funding in 2012, when $3.1 million was raised from a syndicate including Ulu Ventures and Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs.

Series A funding is the name typically used to denote a company’s first round of venture funding at startup level.

Founded in 2011, Blue River employs computer and robotic systems to optimise agricultural production on large-scale farms with the aim of minimising chemical contamination. Each plant is monitored and for growth and nutrient consumption as part of an ‘every plant counts’ strategy.

Data Collective Venture Capital specialises primarily in big data investments and IT infrastructure. Khosla Ventures is also actives in these fields, but has additional interests in food and agriculture.

Innovation Endeavours was founded in 2010 by Google chairman Eric Schmidt as an early-stage venture fund focused on providing entrepreneurs with capital and business advice.