Earth Rover raises £250k from Mercia to launch its crop scouting system.
The Shropshire agri-robotics start-up secured pre-seed backing from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund to commercialise its crop prediction technology.
Earth Rover develops automated agricultural systems designed to improve crop yields and resource efficiency for farmers. The Shropshire-based start-up focuses on bringing advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to farm management.
Earth Rover has secured £250k in pre-seed funding from Mercia through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund. The capital will enable the business to launch its crop scouting product, which uses camera technology and on-board artificial intelligence to predict harvest sizes and timing.
Operating out of Shropshire, the company is currently trialling its system at an organic vegetable producer in Doncaster. The fresh capital will support ongoing trials and commercialisation efforts as the enterprise targets growers in the domestic market and Spain.
Founded with a view to transforming traditional farming techniques, Earth Rover is also developing automated systems for herbicide-free weeding and harvesting. The investment is structured in two tranches over the coming year based on commercial milestones.
From the founder
"Technologies such as AI and robotics have revolutionised manufacturing in recent years, yet agriculture has suffered from a lack of investment and still relies on traditional techniques. At a time when we face the challenge of feeding a growing population with limited land and labour supplies, it is time for agriculture to undergo the same transformation. At Earth Rover we aim to play a leading role in the digitisation of farming to make the industry more productive and sustainable."
David Whitewood
CEO at Earth Rover
Investor perspective
"Vegetable growers routinely overplant crops due to the difficulty in predicting yields and the need to fulfil stringent contracts with supermarkets. This pushes up costs and means that much of the crop simply rots in the fields, creating additional carbon emissions. We believe Earth Rover’s system could help increase crop yields by 5 per cent and reduce costs by a similar amount. This funding will help the company to prove its value and launch into the market."
David Baker
Investment Manager, Mercia
Use of funds
- 01Continue product development
- 02Accelerate go-to-market
Investors
Categories
About the company
Earth Rover
Earth Rover creates agri-robotics technology to help farmers improve crop yields.