BharatRohan: Drone-based agritech startup BharatRohan raises $2 million in pre-IPO round

BharatRohan, a startup providing drone-based hyperspectral remote sensing, has raised $2.3 million in a pre-initial public offering (IPO) from investors such as Villgro Innovation Foundation, Caspian, RevX and Venture Garage and other ultra-high net worth individuals.The funding was a mix of debt and equity, as per a statement from the company.

The funds will be used to develop proprietary edge computing drones, specifically for precise crop monitoring and variable pesticide applications. These drones will be made available to rural entrepreneurs through franchise-based models, enabling them to offer its CropAssure service to farmers.

“It strengthens our resolve to enhance our services and expand our reach across the nation, ensuring that farming becomes more scientific, sustainable, and profitable,” founders Amandeep Panwar and Rishabh Choudhary said.

The company also plans to design and develop compact hyperspectral and multispectral sensors for drones. BharatRohan currently supports 50,000 farmers covering 2,00,000 acres in five states with its drone-based decision support system (DSS) known as BharatRohan CropAssure.

This system identifies diseases, pests, and nutritional deficiencies in the early stages, enabling Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for residue-free crop cultivation

The 2016-founded startup provides farmers real-time, data-driven insights for informed decision-making, optimising resource allocation and enhancing crop resilience against unpredictable weather patterns, it said.