Terranova Raises $7 Million to Bring Terraforming Robots to Market In Round Led by Outlander & Congruent Ventures

Berkeley, CA - Monday, November 10, 2025 - Terranova, a terraforming robotics company pioneering the use of autonomous subsurface injection to lift and stabilize flood-prone terrain, emerged from stealth today to announce it has raised $7 million in Seed funding. The round was led by Outlander and Congruent Ventureswith participation from GoAhead Ventures, Gothams, and Ponderosa (a Galvanize Climate fund).

Flooding and land subsidence are currently intractable global problems driven by a combination of factors including sea level rise, weather extremes, groundwater withdrawal, soil consolidation, and loss of natural watersheds. Flooding is estimated to cost the US economy over $180B each year, with over $68B required annually for infrastructure upgrades. Terranova is rewriting the adaptation playbook by reshaping terrain itself.

They do this using robots roughly the size of cars that inject a wood slurry deep underground. This terraforming process precisely lifts properties out of their flood zones with no surface disturbance. This elevation provides proactive protection for all types of infrastructure, real estate and coastal wetlands. The system, consisting of three injection robots and one mothership, can lift up to one acre by a foot per day, enabling a step change in productivity relative to conventional fill or civil work approaches. Terranova's technology stack includes: a site suitability predictor based on soil composition and flood risk, AI/ML reasoning models to design injection campaigns, and closed loop control of semi-autonomous injection rovers to achieve the desired surface topology.

"We've solved the challenges related to flooding, that's the headline" said Laurence Allen, CEO of Terranova. "We're combining heavy robotics and geotechnical innovation to literally reshape the world. Terranova's mission is nothing less than to terraform the earth and usher in a new era of resilience and societal abundance."

Trip Allen, Chairman of Terranova, continued "Having lived in San Rafael for 25 years, flooding has begun to seem like an existential problem. Much of the inner-city is 6 feet below sea level and floods regularly. I am proud to be bringing the first solution my city can afford to market."

The funding will allow Terranova to begin its first projects, reach full-scale production of its robot systems, and grow its core engineering and field deployment teams.

"Terranova represents a new category at the intersection of robotics, climate resilience, and American industrial renewal," said Jordan Kretchmer, Senior Partner at Outlander VC. "Laurence and his team are tackling one of the hardest and most important challenges of our time - protecting land itself."

"Flooding and land subsidence are urgent global challenges", added Kevin Kopczynski, Partner at Congruent Ventures. "By turning waste biomass into a durable fill, Terranova creates both a climate adaptation and a climate mitigation solution at a much lower cost than traditional approaches - giving society a tool to push back." Terranova's process has demonstrated environmental safety and cost advantages over traditional flood infrastructure. At scale, the company targets costs that are up to an order of magnitude less than levees or seawalls.