Announcement
Mitti Labs, a deep‑tech company focused on water‑ and climate‑resilient rice farming, announced a $9.5 million Series A financing round on 5 August 2026.
Funding Details
The round was led by Aramco Ventures and included participation from Lightspeed India, Godrej Industries Group, Cisco Foundation, Francis Family Fund and Volta Circle. The capital brings Mitti Labs’ total investor‑backed funding to $12.5 million, the earlier amount having been raised from the same and additional investors such as Voyager Ventures.
Expansion Plans
The new funds will be used to broaden Mitti Labs’ geographic footprint in India and to launch greenfield projects in the Philippines and Indonesia. Simultaneously, the company will scale its GeoAI platform, which creates digital twins of rice fields at individual‑plot resolution using high‑resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data fused with field‑collected ground truth and physical models.
Technology Overview
Developed with support from NASA, the GeoAI platform leverages artificial intelligence to transform raw SAR data into field‑level insights on crop health, soil moisture and flooding. These insights enable precise irrigation management, particularly the adoption of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) practices, across diverse rice varieties and agro‑ecological zones.
Environmental Impact
Rice accounts for more than 30 % of global irrigation water and generates methane emissions that contribute roughly one‑third of total climate warming. Science‑backed, low‑cost transitions to AWD can reduce water use by close to 40 % and cut methane emissions by more than 50 % while maintaining yields. Mitti Labs’ programs have already saved 500 billion liters of water – equivalent to Bengaluru’s annual water supply – and aim to lower emissions at scale.
Operational Achievements
Since its launch in 2023, Mitti Labs has built the world’s largest AWD rice program, operating on fragmented plots typically smaller than two hectares, and has grown to 150 employees. Its customer base includes global technology, food and agriculture firms such as Cool Effect, Ebro Foods and Syngenta.
Investor and Partner Quotes
Co‑founder Xavier Laguarta said the technology can transform rice cultivation for 150 million smallholder farmers, enhancing livelihoods while reducing water use and emissions. Zayed AlAmri, Executive Managing Director of Aramco Ventures, highlighted the challenge of obtaining field‑level data across millions of small farms and praised Mitti Labs’ solution. Hemant Mohapatra, Partner at Lightspeed India, emphasized the critical need for water resilience in Indian farming communities and the revenue opportunities the transition creates. Burjis Godrej, representing Godrej Industries Group, noted the model’s potential to reshape rice farming across Asia.
Company Background
Mitti Labs combines satellite technology, AI and on‑the‑ground operations to create a water‑ and climate‑resilient future for rice farming. The firm’s programs have delivered substantial water savings and emissions reductions, and it continues to expand its farmer‑centered model throughout Asia. For more information, visit mittilabs.earth.