Recover Ag Awarded Prestigious NSF Phase II SBIR Grant to Advance AI-Driven Agricultural Monitoring
Spokane, Wash. — September 3, 2025 — Recover Ag, a technology startup harnessing advances in remote sensing and artificial intelligence to create measurement solutions for sustainable agriculture, has been awarded a highly competitive Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This award recognizes Recover Ag’s groundbreaking work in quantifying soil carbon gains from climate-smart farming practices and funds the extension of its platform to measure nitrous oxide emissions and crop stress indicators.
Building on the success of its Phase I research, Recover Ag’s Phase II project will accelerate the development of a scalable system that empowers farmers to monitor and manage soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, and resource efficiency for a few dollars per acre. By integrating satellite imagery, machine learning, and agronomic modeling, the company’s platform helps verify carbon sequestration from practices like cover cropping and no-till farming—while also providing actionable insights to reduce fertilizer use and optimize irrigation.
Recover Ag’s system significantly improves the accuracy and reduces the cost of measuring the tons of carbon removal associated with sustainable agriculture practices. This enables carbon credit buyers to invest with confidence, knowing they are receiving the verified carbon removal they paid for—backed by rigorous measurement.
“This highly selective NSF grant is a strong endorsement of the transformative potential of our technology,” said Jeff Thiel, CEO of Recover Ag. “Our system will help unlock new revenue for farmers through carbon removal credit markets while improving the productivity and sustainability of farm operations. It will also reduce by over 90% the uncertainty deduction associated with quantifying soil carbon sequestration using current measurement tools.” Uncertainty represents the largest cost for carbon farming project operators and a large loss of carbon removal credits for buyers in a market where those credits are in short supply.
The NSF SBIR program supports deep-tech startups with high-impact innovations that address national priorities. Fewer than 15% of applicants receive Phase II funding, underscoring the strength of Recover Ag’s technical approach and commercial promise.
As the agriculture sector seeks scalable solutions to improve financial and environmental resilience in the face of the climate crisis, Recover Ag is positioned to become a trusted partner for farmers, carbon credit buyers, and policymakers alike.