Founded in 2018 in Pittsburgh, Four Growers has emerged as a leader in agtech robotics, recently raising $9 million in Series A funding, bringing its total funding to over $15 million.

The latest funding round was led by Basset Capital, with participation from Ospraie Ag Science and Y Combinator, aimed at scaling production and expanding the company's reach in Europe, North America, and Oceania.

This funding announcement comes on the heels of Bowery Farms ceasing operations due to crop disease and financial issues, underscoring the challenges faced in the indoor farming sector.

The indoor farming market is currently valued at $40.51 billion and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% through 2033, highlighting a strong demand for innovative farming solutions.

Through outreach to greenhouse farmers, Four Growers identified labor shortages as a critical challenge, which drove the development of their robotic solutions.

The GR-100, an autonomous tomato-harvesting robot, operates five times faster than its competitors, with a capacity of up to 43 kilograms per hour and the ability to work 24/7 with remote monitoring.

Equipped with advanced AI and stereo cameras, the robot boasts 98% ripeness detection accuracy and can navigate around nonripe fruit, ensuring optimal harvesting.

Brandon Contino, one of the co-founders, emphasizes that the robots are designed to augment labor rather than replace it, enabling workers to be more efficient as the labor force diminishes.

Looking ahead, Four Growers plans to adapt its technology for a variety of greenhouse crops and eventually expand into outdoor farming markets.

Currently, Four Growers' technology has successfully harvested millions of tomatoes sold in grocery stores and is expected to soon be effective for other crops like cucumbers.

The company's efficient greenhouse operations allow for year-round production and more frequent harvesting compared to traditional outdoor farms.

With a pathfinding capability that is 34 times faster than standard algorithms, Four Growers is well-positioned to address the pressing issues of labor shortages and food waste in agriculture.