TechBay.News

By Michael Phillips | TechBayNews

A Maryland-based clean energy developer is doubling down on artificial intelligence as the next frontier of renewable infrastructure.

Okovate Sustainable Energy has acquired core technology assets from Fundusol, an ag-tech startup spun out of research at Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University. The deal, announced in late December 2025 and first reported by the Pittsburgh Business Times, centers on Fundusol’s AI-driven agrivoltaic modeling platform.

The acquisition highlights how advanced analytics and machine learning are reshaping not just software or consumer tech—but physical infrastructure like solar energy and agriculture.

The Technology: Predictive AI for the Physical World

Fundusol’s platform uses machine learning models and data-intensive simulations to solve a problem that has long slowed agrivoltaics: how to place solar panels on active farmland without hurting crop yields.

The system analyzes variables such as:

• Crop type and growth cycles
• Sun angles, shading, and seasonal variability
• Soil moisture, water use, and microclimate effects
• Energy output optimization

Rather than static designs, the platform produces predictive layouts—essentially digital twins of farms—allowing developers and farmers to test scenarios before anything is built.

For TechBayNews readers, this represents a clear trend: AI moving beyond screens and into land use, climate modeling, and industrial-scale decision-making.

Why Okovate Wanted the Platform

Okovate focuses on “agriculture-first” solar projects—designs that treat farming as the primary use of the land, with energy production layered on top. By acquiring Fundusol’s technology outright, the company can integrate AI modeling directly into its development pipeline.

CEO Miles Braxton said the goal is to build farmer-facing AI tools on top of the engine, turning complex data into actionable guidance—where to place panels, how high to mount them, and how designs may affect yields and revenue over time.

This is not a consumer AI play. It’s enterprise-grade, infrastructure-focused AI aimed at scaling renewable energy without triggering backlash from farmers or rural communities.

Backed by Tech-Adjacent Capital

Okovate is supported by The Schmidt Family Foundation, founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt. The foundation has been an active funder of climate tech, land-use innovation, and data-driven environmental solutions.

That backing underscores a broader pattern: Silicon Valley–adjacent capital increasingly flowing into climate infrastructure where software, AI, and physical systems converge.

A Signal for Climate Tech’s Next Phase

The acquisition also reflects a shift in climate tech away from abstract promises toward optimization and efficiency—using AI to extract more value from limited land, water, and grid capacity.

As states like Maryland push aggressive renewable targets while facing land constraints and local opposition, AI-powered agrivoltaics may become a key compromise technology.

For the tech sector, the takeaway is clear: some of the most consequential AI deployments in the coming decade won’t be chatbots or apps—but quiet, predictive systems shaping how energy, food, and land coexist.