Saudi Aramco backs India’s Mitti Labs to make Asia’s rice farming more water-resilient
Climate-tech startup Mitti Labs has raised $9.5 million to expand its AI-driven platform that helps rice farmers reduce water consumption and methane emissions. The funding round was led by Aramco Ventures.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the application of AI and satellite technology to solve critical sustainability challenges in global food production.
As rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns put Asia’s water-intensive rice farming under pressure, Mitti Labs , a New York- and Bengaluru-headquartered climate-tech startup, has raised $9.5 million in an investment led by Aramco Ventures, Saudi Aramco’s venture arm, to expand across Asia with a platform that combines satellite imagery, AI, and field operations to help farmers cut water use and methane emissions.
Other investors in the Series A round included existing backer Lightspeed India, as well as Godrej Industries Group, Cisco, Francis Family Fund, and Volta Circle. With the latest funding, Mitti Labs has now raised $12.5 million, including a $3 million seed round in July 2024.
Rice, the staple food for more than half the world’s population, is one of the most water-intensive crops to grow. Rice fields kept under continuous flooding also account for a significant share of agricultural methane emissions.
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