Key Takeaways
- Fieldwork Robotics has received an investment from SEED Innovations Ltd, the AIM-quoted robotics and AI investment company chaired by Jim Mellon, as part of a £2.5 million Seed+ fundraise announced in April 2026.
- The raise will fund the transition from technology validation to commercial trials, accelerating farm adoption of Fieldwork's autonomous berry harvesting robots.
- Fieldwork is currently deploying production robots through a two-year Innovate UK ADOPT programme with Place UK in Norfolk and Littywood Farm in Stafford.
- Subject to trial outcomes, multi-robot fleets are expected to be operating commercially on farms from 2027, with international trials in Australia also planned.
- Jim Mellon cited estimates that up to 30% of soft fruit is lost due to picker shortages, highlighting the scale of the labour problem Fieldwork's technology is designed to solve.
Fieldwork Robotics Receives SEED Innovations Backing in £2.5M Seed+ Round
UK agricultural robotics company Fieldwork Robotics has secured an investment from SEED Innovations Ltd, an AIM-listed investment company focused on high-growth robotics and AI ventures and chaired by prominent British investor Jim Mellon. The investment forms part of a broader £2.5 million Seed+ fundraise, combining investment and grant funding that was announced in April 2026.
Fieldwork Robotics develops autonomous harvesting robots designed to address labour shortages and rising costs in the soft fruit sector — a set of challenges that, according to the company, contribute to significant crop losses, higher consumer prices, and avoidable food waste.
The Labour Problem Driving Demand for Autonomous Harvesting
Berry growers globally are contending with a shrinking pool of seasonal pickers, escalating harvesting wages, and supply chain pressures that compound the cost of getting fruit to market. When labour supply falls short, large volumes of soft fruit go unharvested. Fieldwork Robotics‘ autonomous systems are designed to step into this gap — reducing dependence on seasonal labour, improving operational efficiency across entire farms, and enabling growers to protect margins while expanding production.
The combination of food loss, cost pass-through to consumers, and unnecessary climate emissions from waste makes the case for agricultural automation in this segment particularly pressing.
Current Deployments and Commercial Timeline
The Seed+ proceeds will support Fieldwork Robotics‘ move from technology validation into commercial-scale trials. The company is currently running production robots through a two-year Innovate UK ADOPT programme in partnership with Place UK in Norfolk and Littywood Farm in Stafford. If those trials proceed as expected, multi-robot fleets are targeted for commercial farm operation from 2027, with international trials in Australia forming part of a broader global expansion plan.
What Fieldwork Robotics and SEED Say About the Investment
“SEED's support at this stage is vital as we move into this important next chapter for Fieldwork. This fundraise supports the demand of our robotic harvesting capabilities from our grower customers and builds on the significant commercial progress we are making and gives us the platform to accelerate farm adoption of our technology at scale. We are now focused on delivering results, expanding our commercial trials and progressing our international expansion, and we are well positioned to do so with the right investors alongside us,” said David Fulton, CEO of Fieldwork Robotics.
“Fieldwork is a UK company which epitomises how AI and robots can solve a very real-life problem. Up to 30% of soft fruit is lost due to a shortage of pickers, which affects not only growers' profitability, but also the costs passed on to consumers. Fieldwork's berry picking robot offers an innovative and scalable solution to this problem. We are delighted to be supporting Fieldwork at this stage of its development and look forward to following its progress as it continues to commercialise and expand internationally,” said Jim Mellon, Non-Executive Chair of SEED Innovations.
The investment reflects a broader pattern of institutional capital moving into agri-robotics, as growers, investors, and policymakers increasingly look to automation to address structural labour shortfalls in fresh produce harvesting. For Fieldwork Robotics, SEED Innovations' backing adds both capital and the profile of one of the UK's most recognised early-stage tech investors to its commercial push.
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