Autonomous Mushroom Gathering Innovation by 4AG Robotics Secures $40 Million in Funding
4AG Robotics, a British Columbia-based company specializing in autonomous mushroom harvesting, has successfully completed a C$40 million Series B funding round. This investment will propel the company forward as it aims to expand its manufacturing footprint, grow customer support and field service teams, and accelerate the development of next-generation features for its mushroom harvesting platform.
The funding round was led by Astanor and Cibus Capital, with participation from new and existing investors. This investment brings 4AG Robotics' total capital raised to $57.5 million in the last two years.
"This funding will help us transition from a startup to a scale-up manufacturer, enabling faster production to keep pace with orders for over 40 additional robots," said Sean O'Connor, CEO of 4AG Robotics. The investment will support the company's mission to meet the growing global demand for its robotic harvesting platform, which is already in use in Canada, Ireland, Australia, and is planned for the Netherlands and the United States.
The 4AG Robotics platform uses AI-powered computer vision and precision suction grippers to autonomously harvest, trim, and pack mushrooms 24/7. This technology reduces labor costs, ensures consistent product quality, and integrates seamlessly with existing farming infrastructure. The company's system is designed to be one of the first to fully automate the human hand in produce harvesting, ushering in a new era for mushroom farming.
Chris Payne, COO of 4AG Robotics, believes that mushroom farming is the most suitable sector for robotic solutions, and that 4AG is the global leader in agricultural harvesting robotics. The company plans to use the funding to expand its manufacturing facilities in British Columbia, grow its customer support teams, and accelerate the development of next-generation features such as punnet packing and AI-driven yield optimization.
Harry Briggs, Partner at Astanor Ventures, stated that 4AG Robotics has developed a fleet of robots that can pick up to 1 million mushrooms per week. The partnership aims to accelerate this trajectory, helping the company scale production to meet the growing global demand. Archie Burgess, Investment Director at Cibus Capital, added that they are not just building robots, but a new operating system for the mushroom industry, designed to deliver ROI in under three years and scale globally.
Michelle Lim, VP of Growth at 4AG Robotics, was not mentioned in the provided text. However, her role in driving the company's growth and development is expected to be crucial in the coming years.
With this new funding, 4AG Robotics is well-positioned to lead the way in mushroom farming automation, providing a more efficient, cost-effective, and consistent solution for growers around the world.
The investment in 4AG Robotics will allow for the transition from startup to scale-up manufacturing, aiming to accelerate the development of AI-driven next-generation features like punnet packing and yield optimization. The funding will also contribute to expanding manufacturing facilities, customer support teams, and global growth, positioning 4AG Robotics as a leader in finance-backed artificial-intelligence technological innovation for the business sector, specifically in the field of mushroom farming and automation.
