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Executive Summary: Smart Irrigation Market Report 2026

  • Industry Growth Overview: The global smart irrigation market size is predicted to reach approximately USD 4.15 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2% from 2026 to 2035. In our database, the smart irrigation segment recorded 1.27% annual growth.
  • Manpower & Employment Growth: The segment employs more than 70 500 professionals globally and recorded an employee growth rate of 30% in the last year.
  • Patents & Grants: Innovation activity remains active, with companies holding approximately 3700 patents filed by around 3100 applicants. The smart irrigation sector also secured 205 grants.
  • Global Footprint: The smart irrigation industry activity concentrates in regions with strong agricultural production and agri-technology ecosystems. India, the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK lead at the country level. Also, Bangalore, Pune, Dubai, London, and Hyderabad emerge as key city hubs supporting development, deployment, and commercialization.
  • Investment Landscape: The smart irrigation sector records an average investment value of USD 5.1 million per funding round. More than 433 investors participated in 513+ funding rounds, deploying capital across 159 companies.
  • Top Investors: Leading investors, like Pacezero Capital Partners, John Deere, and Aldar Properties, have deployed more than USD 260.8 million into the smart irrigation ecosystem.
  • Startup Ecosystem: Five innovative startups illustrate the sector’s technological breadth and geographic reach: FTSG Innovations (smart irrigation systems for sustainable agriculture), BOTanist (real-time irrigation automation), HydroHammer (zero-carbon hydraulic ram pumping), Tamiatics (sensor and machine learning-based irrigation), and Touio (IoT devices and software platforms).

 

 

Methodology: How we created this Smart Irrigation Market Report

This report is based on proprietary data from our AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, which tracks 9 million global companies, 25K+ technologies and trends, as well as 190M patents, news articles, and market reports.

This data includes detailed firmographic insights into approximately 9 million startups, scaleups, and tech companies. Leveraging this exhaustive database, we provide actionable insights for startup scouting, trend discovery, and technology landscaping.

For this report, we focused on the evolution of smart irrigation over the past 5 years, utilizing our platform’s trend intelligence feature. Key data points analyzed include:

  • Total Number of Companies working in the sector
  • News Coverage and Annual Growth
  • Market Maturity and Patents
  • Global Search Volume & Growth
  • Funding Activity and Top Countries
  • Subtrends within smart irrigation

Our data is refreshed regularly, enabling trend comparisons for deeper insights into their relative impact and importance.

Additionally, we reviewed trusted external resources to supplement our findings with broader market data and predictions, ensuring a reliable and comprehensive overview of the smart irrigation market.

What Data is used to create this Smart Irrigation Industry Report?

Based on data provided by the StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, we observe that the smart irrigation market stands out in the following categories relative to the 25K+ technologies and trends we track.

These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the market’s key metrics and inform the future direction of the market.

  • News Coverage & Publications: The database records more than 466 publications in the last year within the smart irrigation segment.
  • Funding Rounds: The sector files 513 funding rounds and indicates consistent investor engagement across the ecosystem.
  • Manpower: The smart irrigation segment employs more than 70 500 workers globally and added over 30 new employees in the last year.
  • Patents: The segment files 3700 patents.
  • Grants: The smart irrigation industry secured 205 grants.
  • Yearly Global Search Growth: The sector records a 403.70% global search growth in the past five years.

Explore the Data-driven Smart Irrigation Market Outlook for 2026

 

 

As per The Business Research Company, the global smart irrigation market size is predicted to reach around USD 2.44 billion in 2026 and approximately USD 4.15 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 14.2%.

The smart irrigation market comprises approximately 235 startups within a broader ecosystem of 1435 total companies. The sector records a yearly growth rate of 1.27%, which shows a steady expansion driven by incremental technology adoption rather than rapid market entry. Innovation activity remains active, with 3700 patents filed and 205 grants awarded, which supports ongoing development in irrigation automation, sensing, and energy-enabled systems.

Globally, the smart irrigation segment employs around 70 500 professionals, and it achieved an employee growth rate of 30% in the last year.

Industry activity concentrates in key country hubs led by India, the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK. Also, Bangalore, Pune, Dubai, London, and Hyderabad emerge as the primary city hubs supporting smart irrigation development, deployment, and commercialization.

A Snapshot of the Global Smart Irrigation Market

The smart irrigation market records an annual growth rate of 1.27% and reflects steady adoption across agricultural and landscape irrigation use cases. The segment includes approximately 235 startups, with 3700 patents filed by 3100 applicants. This data shows broad participation in irrigation hardware, sensing, control, and energy integration technologies.

The segment secures a yearly patent growth rate of 25.37% and confirms continued intellectual property development rather than saturation. China leads patent issuance with 3413 patents, followed by the US with 113 patents. It shows Asia’s dominance in manufacturing-led irrigation innovation and North America’s role in system-level and software-driven advancements.

Explore the Funding Landscape of the Smart Irrigation Market

The smart irrigation market demonstrates consistent capital inflow, with an average investment value of USD 5.1 million per funding round. The sector attracts more than 433 active investors, showing broad participation from strategic and financial backers. These investors have closed over 513 funding rounds. In total, capital is deployed into more than 159 companies. This highlights a diversified investment base spanning automation, sensing, and energy-enabled irrigation solutions.

Who is Investing in the Smart Irrigation Market?

The top investors in the smart irrigation market collectively invested more than USD 260.8 million. Here is a breakdown of their contributions:

 

 

Top Smart Irrigation Innovations & Trends

Discover the emerging trends in the smart irrigation market along with their firmographic details:

 

 

  • Irrigation Automation structures smart irrigation systems around centralized controllers that coordinate valves, pumps, and fertigation based on predefined rules and live inputs. The segment includes 233 total companies and employs 6200 professionals, with 6 new employees added in the last year. The database records an annual growth rate of 2.43%, which shows gradual adoption driven by retrofits and controller-led system upgrades. The segment acts as the execution layer that converts data signals into synchronized irrigation actions across entire field networks.
  • Soil Moisture Sensors continuously measure soil conditions that determine when and how much to irrigate. The segment counts 404 total companies with 6800 employees, including 9 new employees added in the last year. It shows an annual growth rate of 3.69%, driven by demand for data-driven irrigation scheduling and water accountability. Soil moisture sensors supply the real-time field data that governs irrigation logic, calibration, and feedback loops within automated systems.
  • Solar Irrigation expands smart irrigation infrastructure by enabling pumps and control electronics with photovoltaic energy in grid-limited environments. The segment comprises 559 total companies and employs 29 500 professionals, and added 17 new employees in the last year. Its annual growth rate is 0.48% and is driven by energy independence and operating cost reduction. The solar irrigation segment allows automated and sensor-driven systems to operate continuously without reliance on external power sources.

5 Top Examples from 235 Innovative Smart Irrigation Startups

The five innovative smart irrigation startups showcased below are picked based on data, including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.

FTSG Innovations specializes in Smart Irrigation for Sustainable Agriculture Operations

Indian startup FTSG Innovations designs LoRaWAN-powered smart irrigation controllers to support precision irrigation and fertigation management.

The wireless solenoid controllers and integrated irrigation and fertigation control systems utilize long-range LoRa communication to connect base units and remote nodes.

Its modular smart irrigation architecture employs solar-powered hardware with battery backup, latch-type solenoid control, and multi-valve connectivity. This enables managing multiple irrigation zones through a unified network.

Moreover, the smart irrigation and fertigation controller system resumes irrigation automatically after power outages and monitors pump motor health in real time. It also detects no-flow conditions, responds to rainfall events, and applies surge protection to maintain stable field operations.

BOTanist offers Real-time Soil Data for Irrigation Automation

Norwegian startup BOTanist develops a smart irrigation system that automates irrigation using real-time soil data. The integrated architecture combines soil sensor networks with valve control through its connectivity layer and web-based management platform.

The smart irrigation system measures soil moisture, electrical conductivity, and temperature at multiple depths and at five-minute intervals. It also converts inputs into automated irrigation actions using compatible solenoid valves and flow sensors.

Moreover, the web-based management platform provides field-level control through dashboards, irrigation scheduling, alarms, weather forecasting, and satellite imagery to align watering with actual soil conditions. Through this setup, it reduces manual intervention and improves water-use efficiency across fields.

HydroHammer provides Zero-Carbon Hydraulic Ram Pumping

UK-based startup HydroHammer offers zero-carbon smart hydraulic ram pumping systems for off-grid water movement in irrigation and agricultural infrastructure.

Its Smart Hydram system employs the kinetic energy of flowing water to pump irrigation water across elevation differences without electricity or fuel.

Additionally, the smart controller, HARP, digitally operates and regulates the composite Hydram, and replaces manual start, stop, and throttle control with automated performance management.

Moreover, the Smart Hydram system integrates Internet of Things (IoT)-based control to improve pumping efficiency and regulate pump operation digitally. It supports retrofit integration with existing hydraulic ram installations.

Tamiatics employs Sensor and Machine Learning-powered Irrigation for Horticulture Yield

Estonian startup Tamiatics builds smart irrigation software for horticulture and controlled agriculture.

It employs connected field and greenhouse sensors as well as operates machine learning models to process real-time soil and environmental data for irrigation and fertilisation planning.

The smart irrigation software manages open-field and greenhouse irrigation by translating sensor inputs into automated water and nutrient application actions.

Moreover, the software offers a digital agronomist module that provides algorithm-driven irrigation guidance aligned with crop growth stages and field conditions.

Touio offers IoT Devices and SaaS for Irrigation Connectivity

US-based startup Touio develops Intellidrip, a smart irrigation system for precision water management in agricultural and community garden environments.

Its end-to-end smart irrigation architecture integrates in-field soil and environmental sensors, wireless solenoid valve controllers, and a centralized IoT software layer for continuous data capture and control.

Intellidrip employs low-power sensors to measure soil moisture, soil temperature, air temperature, and humidity. It also routes these data streams through connected valve controllers to execute automated irrigation actions.

Moreover, the smart irrigation system runs on the Ginjer IoT analytics platform and the Netsy IoT network management system. They execute irrigation rules, automate valve operations, and maintain reliable device connectivity.

Gain Comprehensive Insights into Smart Irrigation Trends, Startups, and Technologies

This 2026 smart irrigation market report highlights a shift toward intelligence-driven and infrastructure-level solutions that extend beyond today’s core systems. Edge-based decision engines, digital twins for irrigation planning, and interoperability frameworks enable irrigation networks to adapt dynamically to crop cycles, climate volatility, and water availability.

Advances in low-power edge computing and predictive analytics further strengthen system autonomy while reducing reliance on centralized control. Satellite-integrated irrigation intelligence, carbon-aware water management, and policy-aligned compliance tools also position smart irrigation as a critical component of irrigation infrastructure.

Get in touch to explore 235 startups and scaleups, as well as all market trends impacting 1435 smart irrigation companies.