Latest news with #4AGRobotics
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
B.C. mushroom picking robots get $40M boost to fill growing agricultural labour shortage
Social Sharing A B.C.-based startup that makes artificial intelligence (AI)-run mushroom harvesting robots says a recent $40-million investment will help the company remain at the cutting edge of autonomous agricultural technology, at a time when the industry is facing widespread labour shortages. 4AG (pronounced "forage") Robotics is based in the rural lakeside city of Salmon Arm, between Vancouver and Calgary, on the outskirts of the Rocky Mountains. There, it creates robots that use AI-run cameras and suction cups to pluck, trim and pack commercially grown button mushrooms. Sixteen of the autonomous robots are already working for 24-hours a day — without the need for a break — in Canada, the U.S., Ireland, the Netherlands and Australia. With a recent injection of $40 million in capital venture funds, 4AG hopes to increase that number to 100 within the next year. The innovation is part of a rise in AI agriculture technology around the world. As the food-production industry grapples with a number of challenges including labour shortages, some farmers are to turning to the new tech for help. In Canada, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council says thousands of agricultural jobs remain unfilled every year, and the labour shortage is expected to worsen. That shortage is especially apparent in mushroom growing, according to 4AG Robotics' chief operations officer Chris Payne. On commercial mushroom farms, people have to work in damp, dark warehouses around the clock to keep up with harvesting the fungi, which grow year-round and can double in size every 24 hours. "All of agriculture has problems finding people, but that's particularly acute in mushrooms because it's indoors in fairly tough conditions," Payne said. While 4AG predicts the surging global demand for mushrooms will surpass $70 billion by 2030, the number of people willing to harvest them is not expected to keep pace. Payne said they hope their robots help fill the gap, while also lowering harvesting costs, which 4AG estimates make up 50 per cent of a mushroom farm's total production costs. He said while robots may take over labour-intensive harvesting jobs, humans will move into other areas. 4AG is currently hiring more staff to make, program, maintain and sell the machines. Prof urges mindful use of AI Sean Smukler, the director of the centre for sustainable food systems at the University of B.C., has a front-row seat to technological advancements in agriculture. "I think there's a lot of exciting developments using AI in agriculture at various scales. I think it's a huge frontier right now and a lot of people are scrambling to figure out how to use it most effectively." With his team of researchers, Smukler uses artificial intelligence to rapidly analyze soils to predict and address plant nutrient demands and mineral deficiencies across a landscape, as part of a national project. WATCH | How automation is changing Canadian farms: Thriving or dying? How the heat wave is impacting local crops 18 days ago He said the technological advancements are driven by changes in consumer demand, high food costs, global labour shortages and climate change. Smukler said AI is being used in many aspects of agriculture, including precision agriculture — where inputs like fertilizer are precisely applied in varying amounts across a farm — and targeted weeding, to reduce the need for herbicides. "The more efficient we can make our use of inputs, the less loss we have to the environment, but also the more profit the farmer has because of the efficiency of those inputs," he explained. WATCH | How the heat wave is impacting local crops: Automation helps Canadian farmers fight labour shortage 10 months ago More Canadian farmers are getting a helping hand from automation such as driverless tractors and robot crop inspectors, a shift that's been crucial in battling a chronic labour shortage. But while advancements in AI technology may reduce food costs by replacing labourers, and improve sustainable farming practices, Smukler said people ought to be mindful about how and when it is used. "I would really hate for all of agriculture to become robotic when, in fact, there are a lot of people that enjoy being farmers and the role of farming is a really important one in our society," he said. "[Artificial intelligence] could make it worse, or it could really be leveraged to enable people to do the job of farming in a way that's much more rewarding and cost effective." Smukler said it's important to be thoughtful about how AI technology gets developed so that "we're not just letting the technologists drive the choices that are being made."
Cision Canada
29-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
4AG Robotics Raises $40 Million Series B to Accelerate Global Adoption of Autonomous Mushroom Harvesting
, July 29, 2025 /CNW/ - 4AG Robotics, the global pioneer in fully autonomous mushroom harvesting, today announced the close of its $40 million CAD Series B financing, led by Astanor and Cibus Capital, with support from new investor Voyager Capital and existing investors InBC, Emmertech, BDC Industrial Innovation Fund, Jim Richardson Family Office, Stray Dog Capital and Seraph Group. This round follows a $17.5 million round in 2023, bringing total capital raised to $57.5 million in the past two years. The funding positions 4AG to meet surging global demand for its robotic harvesting platform, already in use across Canada, Ireland, and Australia, with new deployments soon to be underway in the Netherlands and the United States. "This funding helps us leap from a start-up proving our product works to a scale-up manufacturer trying to keep pace with demand," said Sean O'Connor, CEO of 4AG Robotics. "In just two and a half years, we've gone from asking farms to trial our technology to having deposits for over 40 additional robots. As one of the first companies to fully automate the human hand in produce harvesting, we're ushering in a new era for mushroom farming." 4AG's system uses AI-powered computer vision, precision suction grippers, and advanced motion control to autonomously harvest, trim, and pack mushrooms 24/7—without manual labor. Designed to retrofit into existing Dutch-rack infrastructure, the robots enable consistent quality, reduced labour costs, and real-time operational data for growers. "What sets us apart is we are not just a theoretical robotics project that works in a controlled lab environment—it's the real world experience and the systems thinking that is critical to working with the complexity of real farm environments, and being able to deliver commercially successful automation into those environments" said Chris Payne, COO of 4AG Robotics. The investment marks Astanor's entry as a major partner to 4AG Robotics. "We believe that, of all the agricultural sectors, mushrooms are the most poised for robotic solutions—and we believe that 4AG is not only the clear global leader today, but also has the potential, thanks to AI advances and their rich image data, to drive up yields and reduce inputs across the industry. 4AG could be at the forefront of the transformation of agriculture through AI and robotics," said Harry Briggs, Partner at Astanor Ventures. Cibus Capital, a leading agri-food tech investor based in the UK, also joined the round to support 4AG's continued expansion into Europe and beyond. "We are very excited to partner with 4AG, the global leader in agricultural harvesting robotics. Mushroom farming presents an enormous opportunity to utilise robotics and AI to drive labour optimisation together with higher yields and improved quality," said Archie Burgess, Investment Director at Cibus Capital. "The impressive 4AG team has already developed a fleet of robots that pick up to 1 million mushrooms per week. We look forward to supporting them in accelerating this trajectory." The global mushroom sector—expected to surpass $70 billion by 2030—continues to face labour shortages and margin pressure. In western markets, harvesting accounts for up to 50% of production costs. These challenges are amplified by the constant need of harvesting, with mushrooms doubling in size every 24 hours, and farms needing to harvest their crops everyday of the year. 4AG's plug-and-play robotic fleet offers growers a path to long-term competitiveness without reconfiguring their entire operation. "We're not just building robots—we're building a new operating system for the mushroom industry," said Michelle Lim, VP of Growth at 4AG Robotics. "Growers want tech that works out of the box, delivers ROI in under three years, and scales globally. That's what we've built. And this funding gives us the fuel to move even faster." With this capital, 4AG Robotics will: Expand its manufacturing footprint in Salmon Arm, BC Grow its field service and customer success teams Accelerate development of next-gen features like punnet packing, disease detection, and AI-driven yield optimization About Astanor Astanor is a leading impact investor transforming the agrifood sector, "from soil to gut" by backing ambitious entrepreneurs building scalable solutions for a regenerative, climate-positive future. Learn more at About Cibus Capital Cibus Capital is a London-based sustainable food and agriculture investment firm advising over USD 1 billion. Founded in 2016, the Cibus funds invest in companies transforming the food and agriculture value chain towards commercial viability, sustainability and resilience. Learn more at About 4AG Robotics 4AG Robotics builds fully autonomous harvesting systems that replace manual labour in commercial mushroom farms. Its AI-powered robots pick, trim, and pack mushrooms directly from existing infrastructure—around the clock, with precision and consistency. Founded in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, 4AG is active across five countries and backed by leading global investors. Learn more at
