Tunisia-based agritech startup RoboCare raised a six-figure investment from 216 Capital to expand its AI-powered precision agriculture platform across Africa and the Middle East.
Founded in 2020 by Imen Hbiri, RoboCare helps farmers detect crop disease and stress early using satellite imagery, drone data, IoT sensors, weather data and field expertise. The platform uses AI models to generate agronomic alerts and support better farm decisions.
The company said its technology can help farmers save up to 35% of water, reduce agricultural inputs by up to 25% and increase yields by up to 20%. RoboCare already monitors several thousand hectares and has generated thousands of alerts for farm operators.
RoboCare focuses on crops that are important to North Africa and the Middle East, including olive trees, cereals and processing tomatoes. The company said its models are trained with local data to reflect regional soil, climate and farming conditions.
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The new funding will support expansion into new African and Middle Eastern markets, strengthen commercial teams and improve AI models for more agricultural environments. 216 Capital said the investment fits its strategy of backing technology startups that address economic, social and environmental challenges.
Key Takeaways
RoboCare's funding shows how climate pressure is creating demand for farm technology built around local conditions. Water stress, higher input costs and crop disease are major risks for farmers across North Africa and the Middle East. Precision agriculture can help farmers use less water, apply fewer inputs and respond faster when crops show signs of stress. RoboCare's focus on regional crops gives it a clearer market than broad agriculture platforms that are not adapted to local soil and climate conditions. That matters because AI models are only useful if the data reflects the farms they serve. The opportunity is large because agriculture is central to food security, jobs and exports in many African and MENA economies. The challenge will be adoption. Farmers and agribusinesses need proof that the platform improves yields, lowers costs and is easy to use. RoboCare will also need strong local partners, field support and pricing that works for farms of different sizes.
