{"id":7072039,"date":"2026-10-01T23:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T23:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072039"},"modified":"2026-10-01T23:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T23:49:15","slug":"antobot-scales-uv-c-robotics-push-with-300-units-targeted-in-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072039","title":{"rendered":"Antobot scales UV-C robotics push with 300 units targeted in 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"


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UK-based startup Antobot<\/a> is aiming to deploy 300 autonomous robots<\/a> in strawberry crops next year as more growers become comfortable with using UV-C light to tackle powdery mildew and other fungal pathogens.<\/p>\n

Rather than spraying fungicides on crops, the \u2018bots apply UV-C light to damage the pathogens\u2019 DNA so they can\u2019t replicate. The tech\u2014also utilized by firms including Saga Robotics<\/a>, TRIC Robotics<\/a> and CleanLight<\/a>\u2014can reduce labor and input costs and help firms adopt a chemical-free positioning, according to VP commercial Marc Jones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re getting great results, big reductions in chemical spraying and also, interestingly, quite good increases in yield. Some of that is obviously from having less disease, but also we\u2019re seeing that the canopy in general is healthier,\u201d added Jones, who was speaking to AgFunderNews<\/em> on the sidelines of the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Antobot, which was founded by Ke Lu. PhD, and Howard Wu, PhD, in 2019, is now operating in the UK, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and parts of Asia. It has historically engaged directly with customers including Driscoll\u2019s<\/a> and Tiptree but is now building out a distributor network, said Jones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve signed distributor agreements in the UK and Spain. We\u2019re looking at Canada and we\u2019ve set up a joint venture in Asia.\u201d<\/p>\n

As deployment numbers increase, Antobot is also changing its business model.<\/p>\n

Until last year, it operated exclusively through robots-as-a-service, lowering the upfront barrier for growers but leaving Antobot responsible for servicing and day-to-day operations, said Jones. \u201cBut as you grow, this model gets more challenging, so next year we\u2019re going to move most of our customers over [to acquiring the machines and operating them themselves].\u201d<\/p>\n

Capital equipment grants in markets including the UK and Spain can make upfront purchasing more attractive, he noted.<\/p>\n

Different markets, different drivers<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In the UK, concerns from retailers and consumers about pesticide residues are an important driver for \u201cchemical-free\u201d UV-C light treatment, whereas in Asia, growers are interested primarily because existing approaches are struggling to control disease, said Jones.<\/p>\n

Spain combines both dynamics, with exporters serving the UK market while also facing pressure to shift growers toward more sustainable production methods.<\/p>\n

Canada presents another use case, with many strawberry growers operating on just two or three hectares and unable to justify the kind of spraying equipment used by large UK growers, he said.<\/p>\n

In some cases, improved disease control is also giving growers greater confidence to expand production because it reduces the risk of having to shut down part-way through the season.<\/p>\n

While using UV-C light to zap fungal threats is its primary focus, Antobot has also developed scouting modules that enable growers to monitor fruit count, size, and maturity, forecast yields, improve supply chain planning, and optimize sales and marketing strategies, said Jones.<\/p>\n

\"Marc
Image credit: Elaine Watson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Autonomy needs bedding in\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The key lesson from early deployments has been that introducing autonomous machines onto farms requires changes in day-to-day operations as well as reliable hardware, said Jones.<\/p>\n

Operational headaches can be mundane, from tractors blocking routes to locked gates or changed access codes, he observed.<\/p>\n

Antobot has also modified its machines in response to experience in the field, including moving to swappable batteries and simplifying aspects of the suspension.<\/p>\n

Some growers are already operating more than 10 machines, he said, allowing one person to supervise several units at once.<\/p>\n

Seeking growth capital<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Antobot\u2014which has to date funded itself through grants, a small seed round led by Intron Technology Holdings<\/a>, and revenues\u2014is now looking for growth capital to support the next stage of expansion, said Jones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking for growth capital now we\u2019ve got traction. I think we\u2019ve got a good story, a good customer base and a good platform for scaling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa5 \u2018The whole system is now more investable\u2019: Reservoir makes the case for ag robotics<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa5 TRIC Robotics scales to 1,500 strawberry acres with 15-robot fleet<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa5\u2018Like a Roomba for vineyards\u2026\u2019 Bien Nacido puts Saga Robotics\u2019 UV-C robots to the test<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UK-based startup Antobot is aiming to deploy 300 autonomous robots in strawberry crops next year as more growers become comfortable with using UV-C light to tackle powdery mildew and other fungal pathogens. Rather than spraying fungicides on crops, the \u2018bots apply UV-C light to damage the pathogens\u2019 DNA so they can\u2019t replicate. The tech\u2014also utilized […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7072041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12026],"tags":[57625,232962,5850,3643,2401,18175,6761,67101],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7072039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","tag-ag-robotics","tag-antobot","tag-push","tag-robotics","tag-scales","tag-targeted","tag-units","tag-uvc"],"yoast_head":"\nAntobot scales UV-C robotics push with 300 units targeted in 2027 - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072039\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Antobot scales UV-C robotics push with 300 units targeted in 2027 - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UK-based startup Antobot is aiming to deploy 300 autonomous robots in strawberry crops next year as more growers become comfortable with using UV-C light to tackle powdery mildew and other fungal pathogens. 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