MetoMotion closes $5 million investment

MetoMotion, a developer of advanced, intelligent robotic systems to help growers operate farms of the future, announced that it has completed an investment round of $5 million led by Ridder, a leading greenhouse technology company, and Navus Ventures, the family investment office of Lely, investing in unique high-tech and sustainable start-ups and scale-ups that drive the transitions in food and energy. Sirius VC also participated in the round. The funds will be used for finalizing R&D activities, setting up production and marketing activities, and launching the commercial product.

Greenhouse labor costs comprise up to 50% of total production costs. Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, greenhouse growers faced critical labor problems, namely increasing labor shortages and a challenge to retain skilled workers, which contribute to economic damage and raise risks to yields. MetoMotion was established to leverage technology to solve these challenges. Greenhouse equipment companies are seeking technological developments that expand their product offerings and the demand for sustainable vegetable harvesting all year round.

MetoMotion’s GRoW robot brings state-of-the-art technology into the greenhouse, making use of latest Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computing for 3D perception. Specially designed, flexible motion control and path-planning algorithms give the robot precise motion between plants and a unique design that fits the modern greenhouse environment. Dual arms enable harvesting on both sides of the greenhouse row.

The MetoMotion platform automatically collects information during harvesting providing valuable insights, such as yield forecasts and yield distribution analyses, for improved crop management. The GRoW robot packs the crops into standard industry boxes for easy and seamless integration with existing production procedures. The robot’s capabilities include adapting its robotic technology to other labor-intensive greenhouse tasks such as pruning, pollination, de-leafing and data collection for cultivation analysis.

News of  MetoMotion’s investment appeared in HortiDaily, AgReads, CTech, Bizportal, Agritech Tomorrow and AgFunder.