Bonsai Robotics acquires farm-ng to accelerate AI-powered agriculture

San Jose-based Bonsai Robotics announced Thursday it acquired farm-ng, a Watsonville startup known for its modular electric robot, the Amiga. The deal unites two of California’s leading agricultural technology companies to deliver more powerful AI-driven solutions for crop management. 

“We’re going through this transition in agriculture, where we’re switching from iron to software,” said Tyler Niday, CEO and co-founder of Bonsai Robotics.

Bonsai’s software enables existing equipment to autonomouslyfarm diverse crops, using computer vision rather than GPS — an advantage in dusty orchards where traditional autonomous systems struggle. In January, the company raised $15 million in Series A funding to scale production for its AI-powered orchard harvester, Visionsteer.

Farm-ng brings expertise in hardware, computing systems and sensors. Its flagship Amiga robot, designed for small- and mid-sized farms, features a modular, open-architecture platform. 

The acquisition allows Bonsai to expand beyond its current focus on tree crops like almonds, walnuts and pistachios into farm-ng’s domains of bedded crops and vineyards, Niday said. 

Notable industry veterans will also join Bonsai’s leadership team: John Teeple, former director of technology at John Deere; Gary Bradski, computer vision pioneer; and Brendan Dowdle, farm-ng’s former CEO, who will serve as chief business officer.

Niday described the merger as “two puzzle pieces coming together,” noting that the two companies have long been friends and share a culture of rapid iteration and field-driven development.

Both companies rely on computer vision, using multi-camera arrays and proprietary AI models to recognize terrain and navigate obstacles.

“We built a system that works like a human brain does, where we use AI to recognize features first,” Niday said. “If there’s a branch blocking a tree trunk, we can see through it. You can tell the difference between a tree and a high voltage power line.”

This approach required training AI models on extensive datasets. Bonsai has collected data from approximately 500,000 acres to develop its navigation systems.

Bonsai aims to reimagine how farm equipment should be designed, Niday said. Traditional tractors were built around human operators; autonomous systems can break free of those constraints.

The company’s tree-shaking equipment demonstrates this shift. Unlike human-operated shakers that stop at each tree, Bonsai’s autonomous shakers move continuously, doubling efficiency.

“Every tree that’s shook is roughly $1.35,” Niday said. “You can do about three trees per minute. Our machine can do six to eight. So that adds up really quickly.”

The acquisition comes as farmers face persistent labor shortages. Many rely on temporary visa workers to operate complex machinery. “There isn’t skilled labor that sticks around to run this equipment,” Niday said.

For farmworkers, he added, the machines can ease and speed up back-breaking tasks.

Recent immigration enforcement has intensified labor challenges in California, while tight margins in specialty crops like almonds and grapes are pressuring farmers to adopt technologies that improve efficiency and profitability.

Niday said the acquisition will accelerate product development and broaden the company’s reach into new crops and regions. Additional product announcements are expected by year’s end.

Bonsai will maintain its headquarters in San Jose while continuing hardware development and manufacturing in Watsonville. Bonsai also operates a test farm near Davis and plans to work closely with the upcoming agricultural accelerator Reservoir Farms.

“Our goal is to deliver perfect autonomy for specialty crop regions,” Niday said. “The time is now to do it.”

This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 6:30 AM.

Tina Li

The Sacramento Bee

Tina Li was a 2025 summer reporting intern for The Sacramento Bee.