4AG said it has completed harvesting robot deployments on three mushroom farms. | Source: 4AG Robotics
4AG Robotics yesterday said it has closed a Series B funding round of CAD 40 million, around $29 million U.S. The company said it will use the funding to meet demand for its robotic harvesting platform, which is already in use across Canada, Ireland, and Australia, with new deployments soon to be underway in the Netherlands and the U.S.
The global mushroom sector—expected to surpass $70 billion by 2030—continues to face labor shortages and margin pressure, according to 4AG Robotics. In Western markets, harvesting accounts for up to 50% of production costs, said the Canadian company.
These challenges are amplified by the constant need for harvesting, with mushrooms doubling in size every 24 hours, and farms needing to harvest their crops every day of the year. Founded in 1999 as TechBrew Robotics, 4AG said its “plug-and-play” robotic fleet offers growers a path to long-term competitiveness without reconfiguring their entire operation.
“This funding helps us leap from a start-up proving our product works to a scale-up manufacturer trying to keep pace with demand,” stated 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 Robotics plans for growth
4AG Robotics’ system uses AI-powered computer vision, precision suction grippers, and advanced motion control to autonomously harvest, trim, and pack mushrooms around the clock—without manual labor. Designed to retrofit into existing Dutch-rack infrastructure, the robots enable consistent quality, reduced labor costs, and real-time operational data for growers, the company claimed.
This round follows a $17.5 million round in 2023, bringing 4AG’s total capital raised to $57.5 million in the past two years. The company said it plans to use its latest funding to:
- Expand its manufacturing footprint in Salmon Arm, British Columbia
- Grow its field service and customer success teams
- Accelerate development of features such as punnet packing, disease detection, and AI-driven yield optimization
“We’re not just building robots—we’re building a new operating system for the mushroom industry,” said Michelle Lim, vice president 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.”
Investors support global expansion
Astanor Ventures and Cibus Capital led 4AG Robotics Series B round. It also included 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.
“We believe that, of all the agricultural sectors, mushrooms are the most poised for robotic solutions,” said Harry Briggs, partner at Astanor. “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.”
The investment was Astanor’s first time as a major partner to 4AG Robotics. Cibus Capital, a leading agri-food tech investor based in the U.K., joined the round to support 4AG’s continued expansion into Europe and beyond.
“Mushroom farming presents an enormous opportunity to utilize robotics and AI to drive labor optimization 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.”
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