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Monarch Tractor Announces $133M Series C Funding – Marking Largest-Ever Raise in Agricultural Robotics

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With this latest raise, the company behind the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor cements its position as a leader in the space 

LIVERMORE, Calif., July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Monarch Tractor, creator of the MK-V, the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional smart tractor and Wingspan Ag Intelligence (WingspanAI) farm management platform, has today announced a history-making $133 million Series C, making it the largest funding raising round in agricultural robotics history.

Monarch has quickly become a powerhouse within the agricultural space as an off-road electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous vehicles (AV) category leader. To date, the company has raised over $220 million to enable clean, efficient, and economically viable solutions as well as expanded into various agricultural markets such as vineyards, dairy, berries, orchards, and land management across 12 states and three countries. Furthermore, in just the last two years alone they have been recognized as an influential force in farming at national and international levels via accolades, including Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups, CNBC Disruptor 50, TIME Best Inventions, and Fast Company World’s Most Innovative Companies.

The Series C funds will support the further development of Monarch’s cutting-edge AI product offering, expansion of their operational footprint domestically and globally, while enabling the company’s path to profitability.

Funding was co-led by global impact investor Astanor and HH-CTBC Partnership, L.P., with additional support from prominent investors, including At One Ventures, PMV and The Welvaartsfonds.

Monarch’s mission with farmer success at the center

Founded on the belief that food security only exists with planet sustainability and farmer profitability, Monarch has been at the forefront of the critical transition to renewably powered and more profitable farming ecosystems, which ultimately empowers farmers worldwide.

In the United States, farm profitability has steadily declined over the past decade, with the sharpest decline in industry history occurring in 2023. Given the nascent nature of technology in agriculture, the sector is ripe with untapped growth potential across automation, digital technologies and AI efficiencies, with Monarch at the forefront of this disruption and technological advancement.

“Driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and electrification, agriculture has arrived as the next frontier for the energy transition and sustainability movement,” said Praveen Penmetsa, CEO and co-founder of Monarch Tractor. “Agriculture is our planet’s most important and overlooked sector, and those in the industry have faced significant challenges, including farm profitability, labor shortages, worker safety, government headwinds, data availability, and scrutiny for sustainability demands. Monarch’s application of AI and introduction of a smart, electric platform will deliver robust social, economic, and environmental returns to farmers.”

AI continues to revolutionize farming machinery

Tractors have been the center of all farm operations for several decades. Yet, they’ve been underutilized as a hub for robotics innovation and farmer payback.

In December 2022, Monarch released the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor, the MK-V, to combat profit challenges, address sustainability demands, and revive agriculture innovation. Since then, the deployment of more than 400 MK-V’s have helped; resulting in more than 850 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions offset across 42,000 hours of tractor operations.

Monarch’s WingspanAI app is equipping farmers with unprecedented access to on-farm data, integrating a farm management system, vehicle position tracking, crop image collection, and automated operations planning into one platform. The continual development of product solutions, including the introduction of new AI capabilities, will be the driving force in closing the industry’s profit gap.

This funding round will support the expansion of Monarch’s digital solutions and AI applications, including the development of Autodrive, Monarch’s autonomous operations feature, for new global markets and crop sectors.

For more information on Monarch Tractor, visit: www.monarchtractor.com/

About Monarch Tractor

Monarch Tractor’s MK-V is the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor that combines electrification, automation, machine learning, and data analysis to enhance farmer’s existing operations, cut overhead costs, reduce emissions and increase labor productivity and safety. Monarch Tractor is committed to elevating farming practices to enable clean, efficient, and economically viable solutions for today’s farmers and the generations of farmers to come. Operating in more than five continents, Monarch Tractor serves vineyards, orchards, blueberries, dairy, and land management sectors. With cutting-edge technology and a global presence, Monarch is delivering meaningful change for the future of farming. For more information, visit www.monarchtractor.com.

Monarch Tractor Media Contact:

Sling & Stone l monarchtractor@slingstone.com

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SOURCE Monarch Tractor

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A new product line to accelerate the automation of companies

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RIVIÈRE-DU-LOUP, QC, Sept. 27, 2024 /CNW/ – Automation has become critical for businesses to drive growth and performance. Companies need to accelerate their automation initiatives through more autonomous and intuitive solutions that can quickly deliver the benefits of robotics to enhance their efficiency and competitiveness.  

Driven by its commitment to innovation and supporting manufacturing companies in strengthening their operational efficiency, Premier Tech is introducing the future of automation thanks to its new product line TOMA™ – which aims to accelerate packaging automation projects through a comprehensive and intuitive do-it-yourself experience – hence delivering automation made friendustrial™.

The first product under the TOMA™ brand – and its underlying mindset – is a palletizing solution featuring the most advanced interface on the market, bringing together industrial robustness and user-friendliness with collaborative robotics. Thanks to its seamless integration requiring no coding, no engineering and no programming, both small and large manufacturers can access the benefits of automation, setting a new standard for efficiency and ease of use.

“Today, we are launching more than a product line. We are launching a totally new approach to automation — we are launching the ‘Automation made friendustrial™’ mindset. Our teams at Premier Tech Systems and Automation have successfully merged industrial-level efficiency with ease of operation. This was achieved by leveraging the cobot technology from Fanuc, the worldwide leader in robotics,” says Jean Bélanger, president and chief executive officer of Premier Tech.

This launch is backed by more than 35 years of experience in automation and palletization, combined with new technologies in cobotics and the strong commitment of Premier Tech in ensuring that advanced technologies are made available to a wide range of manufacturers.

TOMA™ comes with a new innovative business model harnessing the power of an online, seamless and intuitive do-it-yourself configuration. It will enable companies to look at their packaging operations from a new perspective and implement automation projects where the financial feasibility was yet under pressure.

“TOMA™ cobots allowed us to enhance the work ergonomics of our teams, meet their needs — especially for night shifts —, and increase our productivity. This new solution is robust, intuitive and easy to program. With its agility and reliability, we can use it in various workspaces according to our needs,” says Pascal Gagné, operations manager at Groupe TAQ and launch partner.

For more information on TOMA™ and see how your company can leverage this solution, visit www.tomarobots.com

About Premier Tech

At Premier Tech, we are all about making a difference by connecting People and Technologies for over 100 years. One team driven by a shared will to deliver sustainable solutions that help feed, protect and improve our world.

Premier Tech has a wide range of products, services, brands and technologies allowing to increase crop yields, bring beautiful gardens to life, automate the handling and packaging operations of many manufacturing facilities, treat and recycle water, support companies in their digital transformation and offer bio-ingredients for the well-being of humans and animals.

Premier Tech today records sales of more than one billion dollars and is growing internationally, driven by its 5  200 team members in 28 countries. This is our time as we move Beyond 100.

For more information about Premier Tech, visit www.premiertech.com

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SOURCE Premier Tech ltée

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InventHelp Inventor Develops Improved Wearable Blanket to Increase Warmth (TLS-4013)

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PITTSBURGH, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — “I wanted to create a more comfortable and convenient blanket to provide warmth at home while relaxing or doing various chores without restricting your movement or use of hands,” said an inventor, from Batesville, Miss., “so I invented the HEAT WRAP. My design would offer an improved alternative to using portable heaters, conventional heated blankets, and heating pads.”

The patent-pending invention provides an improved design for a wearable blanket. In doing so, it would surround the wearer in cozy warmth. As a result, it increases comfort and relaxation. It also allows the user to stay productive at home and on the go. The invention features a versatile design that is easy to use so it is ideal for the general population, especially the elderly and those living in cold weather areas.

The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 23-TLS-4013, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp’s Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

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SOURCE InventHelp

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Raken Expands Construction Equipment Management Solution With Enhanced Tracking, Reporting, and Maintenance

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SAN DIEGO, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Raken, the top-rated field management app for the construction industry, has expanded its equipment management capabilities to better help customers leverage their valuable assets.

The California-based software developer recently introduced new and enhanced workflows for detailed equipment tracking, automated reporting, and proactive maintenance. Combined with the app’s daily reports, time tracking, safety and quality management tools, and document management, this update to their equipment management features further establishes Raken as the all-in-one solution for improving field productivity and visibility.

Built with purpose

Raken developed its new, improved equipment management tools to meet one of the industry’s most vital needs. Equipment is a significant cost for most construction companies, who spend hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars buying, renting, and maintaining equipment every year.

“Knowing where equipment is, who is using it, and what condition it’s in is critical in construction,” said Mike Bates, VP of Corporate Strategy. “Raken makes it easy to capture and analyze key data points so you can protect and maximize your investment.”

Track, maintain, and report on owned and rented equipment

Contractors can improve equipment utilization and maintenance with Raken, helping to keep their projects on schedule and under budget.

Benefits for the field and office include:

Easily add new or update equipmentSee where each piece of equipment is located and its conditionTrack details such as deployment history, hours, mileage, and fuel consumptionReport on critical metrics to help reduce idle time, manage costs, improve operator productivity and moreMonitor deficiencies, maintenance schedules, and return dates

Raken’s equipment management tools include an automated dashboard for analyzing utilization trends, productivity, fuel consumption and Co2 emissions. Users can also run snapshot reports organizing equipment by custom criteria and view detailed deployment and usage summaries.

The app also allows users to enable automatic email notifications for scheduled repairs, returns, and maintenance, plus quickly track deficiencies by operator to provide targeted training or guidance.

“Raken now provides an even clearer view of all your assets across your company and projects, so you can maximize usage, better manage your budgets, and extend the lifespan of your equipment,” said Mike Bates.

Launching soon

Raken will continue to grow equipment management capabilities based on industry trends and customer feedback. Additional tools for tracking and reporting on small equipment units and status are currently in development, and will be released in the coming months.

About Raken

Raken is an all-in-one field management solution for the construction industry that uses mobile technology to streamline field workflows and build better projects. Designed for ease-of-use, our software empowers crews to quickly and easily share real-time data and updates from the jobsite. Raken helps customers increase project visibility and compliance with digital daily reports, time and production tracking, comprehensive safety tools, document management, and more. To learn more, visit www.rakenapp.com.

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SOURCE Raken

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