Yamaha invests in strawberry picking robot

Advanced Farm Technologies, located in California, has received a $ 7.5 million investment from investors in a Series A funding round, led by Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley.

“Finding and supporting technology teams working to solve the challenges inherent in harvesting and delivering fresh food to the dynamic market of today and tomorrow is an area of investment interest for Yamaha Motor,” said George Kellerman, CEO and Managing Director of YMVSV.

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Yamaha sees tremendous potential in Advanced Farm Technologies’ robotic harvesting solutions, such as the T-6 robotic strawberry harvester. – Photos: Advanced Farm Technologies

$ 7.5 million investment

The Series A funding round for AFT led by YMVSV raised a total of $ 7.5 million, with additional investments from Kubota Corporation, Catapult Ventures and Impact Venture Capital.

“We see tremendous potential in Advanced Farm Technologies’ robotic harvesting solution as a means of helping to meet the growing global market demand for fresh fruits and vegetables. We look forward to working closely with the team to support the expansion of their enterprise,” said Nolan Paul, Partner and Global AgTech Lead for YMVSV.

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The picking robot gently handle berries to avoid bruising and fruit damage.

Expand lead in robotic strawberry harvesting

“We are excited and humbled to have Yamaha, a leader of global innovation and technology, support our mission of building a diversified farm equipment company centered around automation,” said Marc Grossman, CEO of Advanced Farm Technologies. “With this investment, we can expand our lead in robotic strawberry harvesting and continue to innovate in other areas.”