Tunisian startup RoboCare, which specialises in precision agriculture and artificial intelligence applied to the agricultural sector, has secured a six-figure investment from 216 Capital. Founded in 2020 in the southern Tunisian city of Sfax by entrepreneur Imen Hbiri, RoboCare develops precision agriculture software that combines satellite imagery, drone data, Internet-of-Things sensors, weather information and field expertise to help farmers monitor crop conditions and make operational decisions.
Through its AI models, the solution enables early detection of crop diseases and stress, optimises resource usage, and improves farm performance. The company reports that field deployments have delivered water savings of as much as 35 percent, reduced agricultural input use by up to 25 percent, and increased yields by as much as 20 percent.
Why Now
The investment comes as agricultural producers across North Africa and the Middle East face mounting pressure from climate volatility, water scarcity, and rising input costs. Unlike broader agricultural platforms built for global markets, RoboCare has focused on crops central to regional economies, including olive trees, cereals and processing tomatoes, training its models using localised datasets to account for the climate and soil conditions specific to North Africa and MENA markets.
RoboCare currently monitors several thousand hectares of farmland and has generated thousands of agronomic alerts for farmers and operators. “For 216 Capital, this investment fully aligns with its strategy of supporting high-potential tech startups capable of delivering concrete answers to the continent’s major economic, social, and environmental challenges,” said Hassen Arfaoui, principal at 216 Capital.
What the Funding Will Do
The funding will support the company’s expansion across Africa and the Middle East, strengthen its commercial operations, and enhance machine-learning models designed for different agricultural environments. RoboCare plans to accelerate development along three priorities: commercial expansion into new African and Middle Eastern markets, strengthening its sales teams to drive adoption among major agribusiness players, and continuous improvement of its AI models to address new agricultural contexts.
For investors, the deal reflects a wider shift in African venture capital beyond fintech and consumer applications toward technologies addressing infrastructure and productivity challenges in sectors such as agriculture, climate adaptation and food systems. With agriculture central to food security, jobs, and exports across both Africa and the MENA region, RoboCare’s bet is that locally calibrated AI, not imported, one-size-fits-all platforms, is what will ultimately move the needle for farmers navigating an increasingly unpredictable climate.
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