BloomX raises $13 million to scale robotic pollination for avocados and blueberries

Israeli agtech company BloomX has raised $13 million (€11.2 million) in a Series A round to scale robotic pollination for avocado and blueberry growers, pushing total investment in the 2019-founded firm to $20 million (€17.2 million).

The company claims its machines deliver average yield increases of roughly 20%, alongside better fruit size and quality. Elah Fund led the round, with the Israel Innovation Authority among participating investors. BloomX operates today in Peru, Mexico, South Africa and Israel, and says the new capital will fund expansion in those markets plus preparations for a US launch, including almonds and blueberries.

Two machines, two pollination tricks

BloomX sells two commercial systems, each replicating a different bee behaviour. The Robee, built for blueberries, mimics buzz pollination — the vibration technique bumblebees use to shake pollen loose from anthers (the pollen-bearing parts of the flower). Controlled vibrations make the anthers release pollen that is otherwise hard to extract.

The Yahav 2400, commercially launched in 2026, takes a different route in avocado orchards. High-voltage electrodes generate a controlled electric field that pulls pollen grains off male flowers onto a textile designed to imitate a bee's body surface. The system then deposits that pollen onto receptive female flowers. Both machines pair robotics with AI-based algorithms for pollination management.

What do the yield claims rest on?

Plenty of numbers, but all from the manufacturer. BloomX reports return on investment of up to 10.5 times for growers using its kit, and names Agrovision in Peru, Allesbeste in South Africa and the Granot Group in Israel as customers. The company has not disclosed trial methodology, comparison plots or the calculation period behind those returns. Treat the figures as manufacturer-reported, not independently verified.

One operational data point stands out: a single operator can cover up to 3.5 hectares (8.6 acres) per day. BloomX also says its equipment runs in weather conditions that restrict bee activity, which could stretch the effective pollination window — a real advantage in flowering seasons cut short by rain, cold or heat.

Why a service model matters

BloomX does not sell machines. It sells outcomes, through a Pollination-as-a-Service model where growers pay for the pollination service rather than buying capital equipment. That removes a large upfront investment hurdle, though the company has not published service pricing or costs per hectare — a gap growers will need closed before running their own sums.

"Pollination, a critical link in fruit production, has remained entirely at the mercy of nature", says Thai Sade, co-founder and CEO of BloomX. The aim, according to Sade, is not to replace bees but to work alongside them, giving growers more control and less dependence on favourable flowering conditions.

What should growers watch next?

Three things decide whether this technology earns a place in orchard budgets. First, independent trials comparing BloomX-pollinated blocks with conventionally managed ones, across seasons and climates. Second, published per-hectare service costs, which would let growers weigh the claimed 20% yield lift against real expenditure. Third, progress on the US launch and the almond application — a crop where pollination contracts with beekeepers are a major annual cost.

Until then, the 20% figure and 10.5x ROI remain BloomX's own arithmetic. Watch for third-party trial results as the company enters the US market over the coming seasons.