The Reservoir: Blending Robotics with the Real World of AgTech
Slice of Agriculture Team
Jun 10, 2025
When Danny Bernstein first visited typical ag tech incubators, he didn’t see fields or greenhouses—he saw office parks in Sunnyvale. “They looked like they could be for mobile gaming, not farming,” he says. That disconnect drove him to build something radically different: The Reservoir.
What The Reservoir Does
The Reservoir is an early-stage venture fund and incubator based in Salinas Valley, California. Unlike other incubators, it’s a real working farm fused with robotics labs and machine shops. The goal? To bring the benefits of automation to labor-intensive specialty crops—fruits, nuts, and vegetables that are usually left out of the robotics revolution.
They’re also aiming to make global connections, with plans for bilateral exchanges in AgTech hotspots like the Netherlands, Israel, India, and Australia.
How It All Started
Danny didn’t begin as a farmer. He spent a decade at Google after selling his first startup and later moved to Microsoft. But he realized that real-world impact wasn’t happening in well-worn tech sectors—it was in overlooked corners like rural farming.
At first, he thought about bringing an existing incubator to California’s farmland. But he quickly saw the flaw: “They weren’t purpose-built for ag.” So he built something new—Reservoir Farms, designed from scratch for startups to test, learn, and build right on the farm.
Why It Stands Out
The Reservoir is built around a simple idea: put AgTech founders closer to real farms from day one. No more hunting for fields or trying to connect with growers months down the line. As Danny puts it, “We let roboticists be roboticists.”
It’s also a place to build community. Danny calls it the “Olympic Village of AgTech”—a spot for founders to meet other startups, share lessons, and plug into a network that’s bigger than any one company.
He’s also steering startups away from a common mistake: trying to build everything themselves. “We push them to focus on 80% off-the-shelf components, 10% integration, and 10% magic,” he says.
A Peek at Their Work
Beyond building the incubator itself, The Reservoir has invested in four startups—spanning everything from water management to precision fire detection. FarmNG, one of their first investments, makes autonomous platforms that work in both open fields and greenhouses—perfect for the kind of flexible farming The Reservoir supports.
Who It Helps
Danny’s focus is squarely on specialty crops, not animal ag. He’s especially interested in helping smaller and mid-sized farms get access to automation. That means exploring rentals, leasing models, and different financing options—so that robots and advanced tools don’t remain out of reach.
Working with Growers
Partnerships with growers have taught Danny that the best tech is built in the dirt, not a boardroom. “Growers want to see tech tested on neutral ground, but also in their own fields,” he says. It’s a delicate dance—building trust while keeping an open platform that serves everyone.
The Next 3-5 Years
Over the next few months, The Reservoir is breaking ground in Salinas Valley—no more PowerPoint slides, just real fields and real work. Looking ahead, they’re planning international exchanges and new partnerships to keep building momentum.
One moonshot Danny’s tracking? A ChatGPT-like AI agent that can cut through all the fragmented farm and supply chain data. “No one’s cracked it yet, but it’s going to be huge,” he says.
Conclusion
Danny Bernstein’s mission is clear: turn agriculture from an afterthought in tech into a first-class industry. With Reservoir Farms, he’s proving that with the right mix of robotics, real-world testing, and community, the future of food can be built right in the soil.
