4AG: Mushroom harvesting robot

2023: Product Announcement

In mid-November 2023, the Canadian company 4AG Robotics (formerly TechBrew Robotics) released a specialized robotic system for collecting mushrooms. The machine not only fully automates this time-consuming process, but also significantly increases its efficiency compared to conventional manual harvesting.

4AG notes that, unlike other crops, mushrooms grow at a very high rate - about 4% per hour. And this means that a delay of only a few hours can result in spoilage of products and, therefore, losses. This problem is compounded by a shortage of skilled workers. It takes three to four months for the mushroom picker to start working effectively on the farm in challenging conditions - high humidity and low light. In addition, a significant part of the workforce in this industry depends on immigrants, who are increasingly difficult to find due to new laws and restrictions in many countries, including Canada.

4AG Robotics has released a specialized robotic system for collecting mushrooms

The robot 4AG allows you to bypass all these difficulties. First, the harvester scans the mushroom clearing to determine when each mushroom should be harvested. Next, the machine selects ripe specimens, cuts off the leg and moves them into the container. The system is completely autonomous and capable of continuous operation without human intervention around the clock. The robot can be used on closed farms where traditional mushrooms like champignons are grown.

The company 4AG announced a round of financing, during which $17.5 million was raised for development. This investment program was led by Industrial Innovation Venture Fund BDC Capital and InBC Investment Corp. In addition, funds came from Emmertech, Jim Richardson Family Office and Lex Capital.^[1]

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