Reservoir Farms has introduced a free 'Associate' membership tier, expanding access for agtech startups, researchers, and student teams. This new offering aims to lower barriers to entry for developing and testing agricultural innovations on their farms, a significant shift in their membership model launched in 2025.
Previously, Reservoir Farms offered three paid membership levels ranging from $5,169.51 to $11,631.40. The introduction of the free tier, likened by CEO Danny Bernstein to Spotify's freemium model, seeks to drive greater engagement and trial for their innovation hubs in locations like Salinas and wine country.
This move comes amidst a challenging funding landscape for agtech, with 162 startups failing and only $6.6 billion in deals in 2025 – the lowest since 2019. Despite the macro challenges, there's reported "significant commercial strength" in agtech robotics companies.
Reservoir Farms continues to support the sector through venture investments in companies like Agriful and Bonsai Robotics, with plans for four to six new investments focusing on robotics and AI. Additionally, a two-day "Ruggedize" event on August 26-27 will gather robotics developers and engineers to discuss agtech's future.