Tunisian agritech startup RoboCare has closed a six-figure investment from venture capital firm 216 Capital, marking a new phase of growth for the Sfax-based company as it looks to scale its AI-powered precision agriculture platform across Africa and the Middle East.
Founded in 2020 by Imen Hbiri, RoboCare develops an agricultural management platform that enables early detection of crop diseases and stress through the intelligent use of multiple data sources, including satellite imagery, drone data, IoT sensors, weather data, and field expertise.
What the Platform Does
RoboCare’s AI models analyse those data streams to detect crop stress, identify disease risks, and recommend more efficient use of water, fertilisers, and other inputs. Field results are significant: farms using the platform have recorded up to 35% water savings, a 25% reduction in agricultural inputs, and a 20% increase in crop yields.
RoboCare already monitors several thousand hectares under intelligent surveillance and has generated thousands of agronomic alerts, enabling operators to respond faster and more effectively.
Built for Regional Conditions
A key differentiator for RoboCare is its focus on crops and climatic conditions specific to North Africa and the Middle East, rather than building for a generalist global market. The company concentrates on crops that are strategic for the region, particularly olive trees, cereals, and processing tomatoes, and builds its models from local data to address the specific soil and climate conditions found in North Africa and the Middle East.
In agriculture, local conditions often determine success more than feature breadth, making crop-specific expertise a meaningful advantage. This regional depth also positions RoboCare to respond to the pressing resource challenges many farms in the MENA region face. As the challenges of climate change, water stress, and rising agricultural production costs continue to grow, precision technologies are emerging as a strategic lever to strengthen the productivity and resilience of farms.
What the Funding Will Do
RoboCare plans to use the investment to expand into new markets, strengthen its commercial teams, and further enhance its AI models for different agricultural environments.
The company’s next challenge will be proving its results consistently across larger geographies and more diverse agricultural conditions. With institutional partnerships already established and growing visibility within international agritech ecosystems, RoboCare’s near-term task is translating early traction into durable commercial scale across the African and MENA markets it is now targeting.
