£3m boost puts raspberry-picking robots on track for UK farm rollout

Autonomous raspberry-picking robots are set to be rolled out on UK farms after Fieldwork Robotics secured £3 million in funding to accelerate commercial trials of its harvesting technology.

The Oxfordshire-based agri-tech firm said the investment marks a major step towards large-scale farm adoption of its robotic harvesting systems, as growers continue to battle rising labour costs and shortages of seasonal workers.

The funding package includes a £2.2 million investment round led by Elbow Beach Capital, alongside grant funding from Innovate UK and a £1.6 million Climate Grant.

Fieldwork said the technology is designed to reduce reliance on manual fruit picking while helping growers improve productivity and cut waste.

The company’s robots will now be deployed as part of a two-year trial programme on farms in Norfolk and Staffordshire, allowing growers to assess how the machines perform in commercial growing conditions ahead of wider adoption.

Subject to the outcome of the trials, the business expects fleets of harvesting robots to begin operating on farms from 2027. Trials are also planned in Portugal and Australia as part of the company’s international expansion plans.

Berry growers worldwide are facing increasing pressure from labour shortages, higher wages and supply chain disruption, with harvesting costs continuing to rise across the sector.

Fieldwork believes automation could help growers protect margins while maintaining production levels more sustainably.

Elbow Beach has committed £1.45 million in follow-on funding, building on its £1.5 million seed investment made in 2023, which supported the development of the company’s robotics and AI systems.

David Fulton, chief executive of Fieldwork Robotics, said the company was now entering “its scale-up phase” as it moves towards commercial deployment.

“We are excited to demonstrate how our autonomous raspberry harvesting robots can boost productivity, protect grower margins, and deliver sustainable harvesting solutions in the UK and globally,” he said.

Mr Fulton added that the business was “well-positioned to accelerate multi-robot deployment” following the latest funding round.

Jon Pollock, chief executive of Elbow Beach Capital, said the investment reflected confidence in technology aimed at tackling labour shortages and rising costs in food production.

“Fieldwork has made impressive strides since our initial investment, building a robust technology and demonstrating a clear pathway to commercial impact,” he said.

He added that the company’s technology could help food producers “scale efficiently, expand into international markets, reduce waste, and drive sustainable growth”.

Fieldwork has also secured an Innovate UK Farm ADOPT grant in collaboration with Place UK and Littywood Farm, with work on the programme due to begin in June 2026.