4AG mentioned it has accomplished harvesting robotic deployments on three mushroom farms. | Supply: 4AG Robotics
4AG Robotics yesterday mentioned it has closed a Collection B funding spherical of CAD 40 million, round $29 million U.S. The corporate mentioned it can use the funding to fulfill demand for its robotic harvesting platform, which is already in use throughout Canada, Eire, and Australia, with new deployments quickly to be underway within the Netherlands and the U.S.
The worldwide mushroom sector—anticipated to surpass $70 billion by 2030—continues to face labor shortages and margin stress, in accordance with 4AG Robotics. In Western markets, harvesting accounts for as much as 50% of manufacturing prices, mentioned the Canadian firm.
These challenges are amplified by the fixed want for harvesting, with mushrooms doubling in dimension each 24 hours, and farms needing to reap their crops day by day of the 12 months. Based in 1999 as TechBrew Robotics, 4AG mentioned its “plug-and-play” robotic fleet gives growers a path to long-term competitiveness with out reconfiguring their total operation.
“This funding helps us leap from a start-up proving our product works to a scale-up producer attempting to maintain tempo with demand,” said Sean O’Connor, CEO of 4AG Robotics. “In simply two and a half years, we’ve gone from asking farms to trial our expertise to having deposits for over 40 extra robots. As one of many first firms to completely automate the human hand in produce harvesting, we’re ushering in a brand new period for mushroom farming.”
4AG Robotics plans for progress
4AG Robotics’ system makes use of AI-powered pc imaginative and prescient, precision suction grippers, and superior movement management to autonomously harvest, trim, and pack mushrooms across the clock—with out handbook labor. Designed to retrofit into current Dutch-rack infrastructure, the robots allow constant high quality, diminished labor prices, and real-time operational information for growers, the corporate claimed.
This spherical follows a $17.5 million spherical in 2023, bringing 4AG’s whole capital raised to $57.5 million up to now two years. The corporate mentioned it plans to make use of its newest funding to:
- Develop its manufacturing footprint in Salmon Arm, British Columbia
- Develop its discipline service and buyer success groups
- Speed up growth of options resembling punnet packing, illness detection, and AI-driven yield optimization
“We’re not simply constructing robots—we’re constructing a brand new working system for the mushroom business,” mentioned Michelle Lim, vp of progress at 4AG Robotics. “Growers need tech that works out of the field, delivers ROI in below three years, and scales globally. That’s what we’ve constructed. And this funding provides us the gasoline to maneuver even quicker.”
Buyers help international enlargement
Astanor Ventures and Cibus Capital led 4AG Robotics Collection B spherical. It additionally included help from new investor Voyager Capital and current buyers InBC, Emmertech, BDC Industrial Innovation Fund, Jim Richardson Household Workplace, Stray Canine Capital, and Seraph Group.
“We consider that, of all of the agricultural sectors, mushrooms are probably the most poised for robotic options,” mentioned Harry Briggs, companion at Astanor. “We consider that 4AG isn’t solely the clear international chief in the present day, but in addition has the potential, due to AI advances and their wealthy picture information, to drive up yields and scale back inputs throughout the business.”
The funding was Astanor’s first time as a serious companion to 4AG Robotics. Cibus Capital, a number one agri-food tech investor primarily based within the U.Ok., joined the spherical to help 4AG’s continued enlargement into Europe and past.
“Mushroom farming presents an infinite alternative to make the most of robotics and AI to drive labor optimization along with larger yields and improved high quality,” mentioned Archie Burgess, funding director at Cibus Capital. “The spectacular 4AG workforce has already developed a fleet of robots that choose as much as 1 million mushrooms per week.”
