LONDON: SEED Innovations Ltd, an AIM-quoted investment company, has subscribed £300,000 for an approximate 3.66% equity stake in Fieldwork Robotics Ltd, a U.K. agricultural technology company developing autonomous harvesting systems for soft-fruit growers, the company announced Friday.
The investment is part of a £2.5 million Seed+ fundraising round aimed at accelerating farm adoption of Fieldwork’s robotic harvesting technology and transitioning the company from technology validation to commercial trials.
Fieldwork’s platform uses AI-enabled 3D vision and high-fidelity ripeness detection, with four independent robotic arms equipped with a patented inflatable membrane designed to remove fruit without damage. The system, supervised by a single operator, is intended to help commercial growers address labour shortages while improving harvesting accuracy and reducing waste.
“Fieldwork is a U.K. company which epitomises how AI and robots can solve a very real-life problem,” said Jim Mellon, non-executive chair of SEED. “Up to 30% of soft fruit is lost due to a shortage of pickers, which affects not only growers’ profitability, but also the costs passed on to consumers. Fieldwork’s berry picking robot offers an innovative and scalable solution to this problem.”
Fieldwork has developed multiple generations of harvesting robots and is progressing toward scaled commercial deployment. The company has established commercial and development relationships with growers and agricultural partners across the U.K., Australia, Portugal and the United States.
Beyond direct robot sales, Fieldwork is developing recurring revenue streams through agricultural data services, service and maintenance contracts, and a harvesting-as-a-service model, under which growers pay to access robotic harvesting capabilities on an ongoing basis rather than purchasing systems outright.
“SEED’s support at this stage is vital as we move into this important next chapter for Fieldwork,” said David Fulton, Fieldwork Robotics CEO. “This fundraise builds on the significant commercial progress we have made and gives us the platform to accelerate farm adoption of our technology at scale.”
The company initially focuses on raspberry harvesting but plans to expand to other soft fruits.
Fieldwork is a UK company incorporated on 17 October 2016 as a spin-out from the University of Plymouth. Founded by Dr Martin Stoelen, formerly a lecturer in robotics at the University, the company was established to commercialise his research into ‘soft’ and adaptive robotic arms for handling delicate produce. Fieldwork has since expanded internationally, with subsidiaries in Portugal, Australia and California, USA.
For the year ended 31 October 2025, Fieldwork reported net assets of £5,540,162 with modest turnover and a loss before tax consistent with its stage of development.
