SwarmFarm Robotics has raised $30 million in Series B funding, with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) contributing $7 million through its Powering Australia Technology Fund.
The investment will support SwarmFarm’s expansion into North America, boost manufacturing in Toowoomba, and accelerate the rollout of its autonomous SwarmBots — small, self-driving farm robots that reduce input costs and environmental impact.
The round was led by European agtech investor Edaphon, with participation from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), QIC, and Artesian Capital. The CEFC invested $7 million through its Powering Australia Technology Fund.
Founded in 2012 by farmers Andrew and Jocie Bate, SwarmFarm develops small, self-driving robots designed to help growers reduce input costs and environmental impact. Its open platform, SwarmConnect, functions as an “app store for agriculture,” allowing developers to build and integrate software tailored to specific crops and farming practices.
The fresh capital will be used to increase manufacturing capacity in Toowoomba, expand the team, and support entry into the North American market.
According to co-founder Andrew Bate, the new funding enables SwarmFarm to meet growing domestic demand while scaling globally.
“We’ve got adoption here across Australia now, and yet there are so many people we haven’t gotten to. This gives us the ability to get more technology in the hands of more farms across Australia,” said Bate.
He noted that SwarmFarm’s autonomous robots have now overtaken the local tractor autonomy market, with some SwarmConnect partners reporting rapid growth—tripling or quadrupling sales within a year.
Bate highlighted that affordability and simplicity remain key advantages:
“Machinery is becoming super expensive and unaffordable. What we offer with our SwarmConnect partners is a far more affordable way to put the latest technology on your farm.”
Unlike traditional million-dollar farm machinery, SwarmFarm’s smaller autonomous units are designed to be affordable, simple to operate, and easy to repair, ensuring that farmers can deploy and maintain the technology themselves.
