Key Takeaways
- Dogtooth secured more than £14 million (about $18.7 million at current exchange rates) in new funding to accelerate commercial deployment of its dexterous harvesting robots in the UK and international markets.
- The round combines equity investment from 24Haymarket, EMV Capital plc, and ACF Investors, along with grant funding from Innovate UK and a venture leasing facility from Kineo Finance.
- Dogtooth says it was among the first companies to apply AI-driven perception, cognition and dexterity to simple robotic hardware, enabling tasks that previously required human labor.
- The funding will go toward expanding commercial deployments, strengthening Dogtooth's technology platform, and speeding adoption of autonomous harvesting systems.
- CEO Duncan Robertson said the round came together during what he called one of the most challenging funding environments he can recall for deep tech businesses.
Dogtooth announced it has raised more than £14 million, about $18.7 million at current exchange rates, to accelerate commercial deployment of its dexterous harvesting robots across the UK and international markets, the company said in a LinkedIn post.
Dogtooth Raises £14 Million to Expand Harvesting Robots
Dogtooth described the raise as reflecting its early position in what it calls the physical AI space, saying it was among the first companies to recognize that AI could let simple robotic hardware perform increasingly complex tasks. The company said it has worked to apply that approach commercially at scale, enabling dexterous robots to take on jobs that previously required human perception, cognition and manual skill. Existing shareholder Octopus Ventures is among the backers continuing to support the company through this round, Dogtooth said.
Investment Combines Equity, Grants and Venture Leasing
The funding round blends several sources of capital. Equity investment came from 24Haymarket, represented by Paul Tselentis; ACF Investors, represented by Timothy Mills and Paul Fauset; and EMV Capital plc, represented by Ilian Iliev and Tom Hall. Innovate UK, represented by Chris Danks, contributed grant funding, and Kineo Finance, represented by Nakai J, provided a venture leasing facility, according to Dogtooth CEO Duncan Robertson, who also thanked the company's board members, Jorge Heraud, Zoe Morgan, Marion Regan and Kelvin Au, for their support through the process.
Dogtooth's CEO on the Funding Landscape
“This is one of the most challenging funding environments I can remember for deep tech businesses. Bringing this investment together has taken an extraordinary amount of hard work from many people over many months,” said Duncan Robertson, CEO of Dogtooth Technologies.
Robertson said the round took many months of work from investors, the board, legal advisers and the Dogtooth team to complete.
Funding to Fuel Commercial Deployment
Dogtooth said the capital will support expanded commercial deployments, strengthen its technology platform, and speed adoption of its autonomous harvesting systems among growers. The company credited its investors, customers, partners and staff for reaching the milestone, and said the funding positions it for its next stage of growth in dexterous, AI-driven harvesting robotics.
