Potsdam-based AgTech startup Stenon raises 18 million in Series B funding

The agricultural sector is under increasing pressure to maintain yields while using fertilizer more efficiently. The Potsdam-based AgTech startup Stenon positions itself precisely at this intersection. The company has now closed a Series B funding round of 18 million euros to expand its real-time soil analysis technology internationally.

The funding round is led by the Dutch impact investor Pymwymic. The DeepTech & Climate Fund (DTCF) is also joining as a new investor. In addition, existing investors Atlantic, Oyster Bay, Founders Fund, TIME Ventures (the investment firm of Salesforce founder Marc Benioff), and Bernd Hoffmann, former vice president at AGCO and Claas, are participating.

Back in 2021, we reported here on Startbase about a $20 million Series A round for the startup.

More Precise Fertilization with Real-Time Data

At the heart of Stenon’s technology is the FarmLab platform. It combines proprietary sensor technology, artificial intelligence, agronomic models, and cloud software to analyze soil parameters directly in the field in real time.

While farmers previously often had to wait several days or even weeks for lab results, FarmLab provides immediately available data on soil conditions. A particular focus is on measuring plant-available nitrogen (Nmin), which is crucial for optimal fertilization.

This data is supplemented by information on the soil’s organic carbon content (Soil Organic Carbon, SOC), which provides insights into soil quality, productivity, and potential CO₂ sequestration capacity.

Rising fertilizer prices increase the pressure to act

The funding comes at a time when nitrogen fertilizers have once again become significantly more expensive for farmers. According to the European Commission, prices in the spring of 2026 were about 71 percent higher than the average for 2024.

Against this backdrop, more precise fertilizer application is becoming increasingly important from an economic standpoint. According to the company, customers using Stenon’s technology have already been able to reduce their nitrogen fertilizer use by 20 to 40 percent while simultaneously achieving yield increases of between two and eight percent. The platform is now being used on a wide variety of crops, including corn, beans, cotton, sugarcane, coffee, grains, and vegetables.

From Manual Measurement to Smart Agricultural Machinery

Stenon plans to use the fresh capital to further accelerate its international expansion. The company is focusing in particular on Brazil, Central Asia, and selected European markets where it is already active.

In addition, the company is working on the next generation of its technology. While FarmLab has so far been used as a mobile sensor system, Stenon is currently developing a platform fully integrated into agricultural machinery that is designed to continuously collect soil and nutrient data during field work. With this, the company aims to make the transition from sporadic measurements to permanent, data-driven nutrient management.

Europe’s AgTech Expertise Is Growing

With the entry of Pymwymic and the DeepTech & Climate Fund, Stenon has gained two investors specializing in building European deep-tech companies. Together with existing investors, this funding is intended to enable the further expansion of sensor technology, AI models, and the company’s proprietary soil data platform.

This development also reflects a broader trend: modern agriculture is becoming increasingly data-driven. Real-time information on soil quality and nutrient availability is evolving into a central infrastructure for more efficient, economical, and sustainable agricultural systems. In the future, decisions regarding fertilization will no longer be based on yesterday’s lab results, but on real-time data directly from the field.