Instacrops to Showcase AI-Powered Water-Saving Tech at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater use, with some countries like India and Chile using over 90% of their available water for farming. For Mario Bustamante, who grew up in Chile, the water crisis is personal. “Lack of water is a big issue here,” he said, reflecting on the challenges facing farmers in water-stressed regions. Bustamante is now tackling the problem head-on with Instacrops, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to reduce water consumption on farms while boosting crop yields. Originally founded to deploy IoT sensors for frost detection, the company shifted focus as hardware became more standardized. The pivot to AI-driven software allowed Instacrops to scale efficiently, process vast amounts of data, and dramatically reduce operational costs. Today, Instacrops helps 260 farms across Latin America cut water use by up to 30% and increase yields by as much as 20%. The company will showcase its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in San Francisco, where it’s competing in the Startup Battlefield. The shift to software has transformed the business. “We are processing — more or less — 15 million data points per hour,” Bustamante said. “Almost 10 years ago, that was the amount for a year. We’re reducing cost, team members, and generating more impact with less.” Instacrops integrates with existing farm sensors or installs new ones to collect real-time data on soil moisture, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, crop yield, and NDVI— a satellite-derived measure of plant health and productivity. Using large language models, the system analyzes over 80 variables to generate precise irrigation recommendations. Farmers receive these insights directly on their mobile phones through a chatbot app or via WhatsApp, which Bustamante believes will become the primary platform. “I think in the next year, we will be 100% WhatsApp because it’s a universal tool for any farmer,” he said. On more advanced farms, Instacrops can even automate irrigation systems directly, adjusting water delivery based on real-time conditions. The company focuses on high-value crops such as apples, avocados, blueberries, almonds, and cherries, charging farmers an annual fee per hectare for access to its insights. Founded in 2021, Instacrops was part of the Y Combinator summer batch and has since secured funding from SVG Ventures and Genesis Ventures. As climate pressures mount and water scarcity intensifies, the startup’s AI-powered approach offers a scalable solution for sustainable agriculture. For those interested in seeing the future of smart farming, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27 to 29 in San Francisco, will be a key event to attend.