Bridging technology from Mars rovers to tractors: Why we invested in Terrablaster
The Opportunity
Fertilizer costs have skyrocketed in recent years, driven by supply chain volatility and rising global demand. Meanwhile, up to 70% of applied nitrogen fertilizer today is lost and never used by crops due to overapplication, resulting in $30 billion of waste annually, harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and water pollution. Farmers are left balancing the high cost of inputs with pressure to protect soil health and reduce climate impact.
This is one of agriculture’s most critical—and most solvable—problems. But solving it requires moving beyond slow lab tests or low-accuracy remote testing solutions currently available, and toward real-time, hyper-local intelligence.
That’s where Terrablaster comes in. By bringing real-time lab-grade soil nutrient analysis directly into the field, Terrablaster empowers farmers to apply exactly the right amount of fertilizer, exactly where it’s needed. Their breakthrough technology has the potential to transform global crop production, drive significant cost savings, and dramatically reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint.
Sunna Ventures is thrilled to back Terrablaster’s journey, investing alongside leading partners like Khosla Ventures to help scale this next-generation soil intelligence platform and transform the precision agriculture industry.
What is Terrablaster?
Terrablaster is building the first real-time, in-motion soil nutrient sensing system designed to work directly from tractors and tillage equipment. Their core technology leverages Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) — an advanced sensing method originally proven on Mars by NASA rovers — to deliver instant, lab-quality measurements of key soil metrics such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), pH, and more. This allows for dynamic fertilizer prescriptions as equipment moves through the field, laying the foundation for fully autonomous, precision nutrient management.
Today, soil testing typically involves sampling once every few acres, sending samples to a lab, and waiting weeks for results. This slow approach forces farmers to rely on “just to be safe” fertilizer practices, leading to over-application, higher costs, and environmental harm.
Why Did We Invest?
Exceptional Founder-Market Fit
Terrablaster’s leadership team brings a rare combination of technical excellence and agricultural commercialization expertise.
Jorge Heraud, CEO, is a serial entrepreneur who previously founded Blue River Technology (acquired by John Deere for $305M) and led autonomy initiatives at John Deere.
Matt Colgan, CTO, holds a PhD from Stanford focused on remote sensing and has deep technical experience from Blue River and other ag robotics projects.
Dr. Pablo Sobron, advisor, is a world-leading expert in LIBS with experience at NASA, CSA, and SETI.
Targeting a Massive, Under-Served Market
The precision agriculture market exceeded $14 billion in 2024 (and is projected to exceed $49 billion by 2034), and soil management solutions alone are expected to nearly triple in value by 2026. At the same time, regulatory and ESG pressures are driving urgent demand for sustainable nutrient management practices. Additionally, Terrablaster’s ability to reduce fertilizer use by up to 70% unlocks immediate economic value for farmers.
Deep Climate Impact
Terrablaster’s technology doesn’t just make agriculture more efficient—it also delivers substantial climate benefits:
Reducing nitrous oxide emissions (which are ~300x more potent than CO₂) and nitrogen fertilizer use (which accounts for 5% of global GHG emissions).
Preventing nutrient runoff that contributes to waterway pollution and dead zones.
Enhancing soil health and preserving soil organic carbon stocks (a major carbon sink), creating more resilient farming systems.
Looking Ahead
We believe Terrablaster is not just another ag tech startup: it is building the core soil intelligence infrastructure for a new era of climate-smart agriculture. By enabling real-time, precise nutrient management at field scale, Terrablaster can transform how farmers make decisions, how inputs are applied, and how soil is stewarded as a critical natural asset.
At Sunna Ventures, we invest in visionary founders tackling systemic climate challenges with transformative technology. Terrablaster embodies this mission, and we’re excited to partner with them to redefine what’s possible in precision farming.