Kansas Agricultural Robotics Startup Partners with Chipotle’s $50M Venture Fund

Posted December 19, 2023

Chipotle, and its $50 million venture fund Cultivate Next, have invested in a Wichita-area agricultural startup that specializes in autonomous weeding robots.

Cultivate Next announced its investment in the agricultural tech company Greenfield Robotics last week, The venture fund did not disclose the exact amount of the investment but added it was a minority stake, according to a release.

Greenfield Robotics, located and headquartered in Cheney, Kansas, manufactures fleets of robots that cut weeds between rows of broadacre crops that can work overnight. These robots not only cut weeds but also cut down farmers’ use of herbicides on the crops.

“In partnership with Chipotle, we can continue to explore creative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing farmers across the United States,” Greenfield Robotics founder Clint Brauer said.

In addition to the investment, Greenfield Robotics will work to expand its fleet of robots and develop additional capabilities for forthcoming iterations of its robots, including micro-spraying, cover crop planting, and soil testing.

Chipotle and Cultivate Next also announced another minority investment in California-based Nitricity, a company that leverages air, water, and renewable energy from artificial lightning to produce a cleaner and cost-efficient fertilizer.