A Salmon Arm robotics company is rebranding as it makes plans to revolutionize the mushroom industry.

Founded in 1999, in recent years TechBrew Robotics has seen some success in garnering investment towards developing an autonomous, vision-guided mushroom harvesting robot. To date, the company has completed proof of concept deployments on two farms, achieving the goal of a 95 per cent pick rate in both instances.

The company is now ready to take things to the next level.

In a Nov. 15, 2023 media release, the company announced it had secured $17.5 million in equity financing to accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge robotic solutions for mushroom harvesting.

The company said it is also rebranding, changing its name to 4AG Robotics for the next stage of its commercial journey.

B次元官网网址淲e believe that we can build a globally successful robotics company, based right here in Salmon Arm, and are eager to start growing our team,B次元官网网址� said 4AG RoboticsB次元官网网址� Sean OB次元官网网址� Connor, who took over as TechBrewB次元官网网址檚 CEO in October from founder and longtime CEO Mike Boudreau, who remains the companyB次元官网网址檚 president. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e excited about the quality of this investment group and the people we can lean on in these critical years ahead.B次元官网网址�

The company will use the funding to address what it calls the most critical challenge in the mushroom industry B次元官网网址� the intensive labour required to harvest mushrooms.

B次元官网网址淭heir delicate nature, even more fragile than tomatoes, poses a formidable challenge for automation when it comes to tasks such as picking, trimming and packing,B次元官网网址� said 4AG. B次元官网网址淭he mushroom sector, managed by innovative farmers, is in urgent need of automated solutions, given the complex logistical and labour challenges posed by a highly perishable product.

B次元官网网址�4AG Robotics is dedicated to providing this much-needed transformative solution, and has secured purchase orders with farms in Canada and Europe.B次元官网网址�

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The financing is coming from BDC CapitalB次元官网网址檚 Industrial Innovation Venture Fund and InBC Investment Corp. (InBC), with participation from Emmertech, Jim Richardson Family Office, Lex Capital, and a series of angel investors from across Canada, reads the release. Joseph Regan, managing partner with Industrial Innovation Venture Fund at BDC Capital, shared BDC CapitalB次元官网网址檚 extreme confidence in 4AG RoboticsB次元官网网址� ability to lead the mushroom harvesting industry globally.

B次元官网网址淭heir technology is helping grow mushrooms in a more efficient and sustainable manner, all while tackling the industryB次元官网网址檚 ongoing labour challenges,B次元官网网址� said Regan. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e excited for this market-driven solution to a large global problem.B次元官网网址�

As the company embarks on this new phase, OB次元官网网址機onnor said it remains dedicated to pioneering automation in agriculture.

B次元官网网址淲e believe that in the years to come, 4AG Robotics can help indoor agriculture thrive across a variety of crops, and reduce the amount of produce we ship around the world on a daily basis.B次元官网网址� said OB次元官网网址機onnor. B次元官网网址淗owever, our core focus right now is helping mushroom farms around the world increase their profitability, and harness our robots to reduce the environmental impact of farming.B次元官网网址�

4AG Robotics is particularly keen to speak with more mushroom farms open to its robotic offerings, as well as ambitious people looking to join the company and B次元官网网址渉elp reinvent the world of mushroom farming with robotics.B次元官网网址� For more information, visit techbrewrobotics.com or email info@4ag.ai.

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