Verdi raises $4.7M to expand retrofit irrigation automation platform

Verdi, a Canadian agtech startup focused on irrigation automation, has closed a $6.5 million CAD ($4.7 million USD) seed funding round to accelerate the growth of its retrofit platform for specialty crop growers. 

The company, which won the Pitch Competition at the 2022 Irrigation Show and Education Week, enables farmers to automate irrigation using existing infrastructure—offering a more accessible alternative to traditional high-cost, large-scale systems. 

According to Verdi, the company’s technology helped growers in 2024: 

• save more than $1 million in labor costs, 

• reduce water use by over 100 million liters, and 

• automate irrigation across 5,000+ acres of farmland. 

Verdi’s platform has attracted attention from food and beverage brands seeking more efficient, data-driven approaches to on-farm water management. The company’s retrofit model allows users to integrate smart controls with minimal disruption to existing operations. 

The oversubscribed seed round was led by SVG Ventures | THRIVE and included participation from NEC X Inc., Ponderosa Ventures, Elemental Impact and Waterpoint Lane, among other investors. 

Looking ahead, Verdi plans to expand into new crops and geographic markets, grow its team and scale its AI-powered irrigation insights platform. The company also aims to deepen its partnerships with commercial growers and food brands focused on sustainability and resilience. 

Verdi gained industry visibility at the Irrigation Show’s Innovation Row, a showcase for emerging startups in the irrigation and water management space. Applications are now open for the 2025 Startup Showcase, scheduled for Dec. 8–11 in New Orleans.