FruitSpec gets $ 4 million for yield estimation tool

Investors included AgVentures, a South African agtech investment company and Hubei Forbon Technology Co. Ltd., China.

Inaccurate fruit yield estimation a key problem

According to FruitSpec, inaccurate fruit yield estimation from an early stage (especially in green fruit) remains a key problem in the food chain. The ability to accurately estimate a fruit yield has a major impact on key business decisions relating to crop maintenance/handling and sales projections.

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The ability to accurately estimate a fruit yield has a major impact on key business decisions relating to crop maintenance/handling and sales projections, says FruitSpec. – Photo: Bert Jansen

Currently, yield estimations are mostly performed by farmers/workers using a visual “count” from the sampling of a few trees. Until now, the main technological challenge in providing early season fruit yield estimates is the inability to distinguish the green fruit from the green leaves in an image.

Hyperspectral and computer vision algorithms

FruitSpec says it solves this problem with its patented hyperspectral and computer vision algorithms, enabling the company to count the number of fruit and to estimate fruit sizes for accurate early season fruit yield estimation.

In recent commercial operations and field trials, FruitSpec claims it demonstrated accuracy rates above 95% with its technology (at an average of 97.3%).

$ 3 billion market potential

FruitSpec says it’s positioned to have a major impact on the fruit yield estimation market, with a calculated 47 million hectares (116 million acres) of fruit orchards globally1 standing to gain from these developments. This translates to a $ 3 billion market potential for FruitSpec, according to company estimates.