The Munich BayWa AG are investing in the Californian startup Abundant Robotics Inc. The international trading group is becoming a minority shareholder in the startup to support the development of automated harvesting systems for orchards.
In particular, the investment company BayWa Obst GmbH & Co. KG, whose business area specifically includes the trading of apples, will benefit from the deal.
Supporting digitalization in agriculture
At the same time, the group supports the digitalization of agriculture because it wants “provide farmers with access to the latest technologies and smart solutions for cultivation and downstream […]”, explains BayWa CEO Klaus Josef Lutz.
Abundant Robotics: Robots to assist in the harvest of pome fruit
Especially in the labor-intensive specialty crop sector, such as orchards, farmers are increasingly under pressure due to limited labor availability and rising costs. The American startup's pome fruit picking robot aims to alleviate this situation. The first market-ready robot systems are expected to be available in the next few years.
