Fieldwork Robotics lands £2.2m seed to trial raspberry-harvesting robots, easing labour shortages
This article covers Fieldwork Robotics, an agtech startup, which has raised £2.2m in a seed funding round led by Elbow Beach to move its raspberry-harvesting robots from validation into commercial trials. The development seeks to support fruit growers by addressing seasonal labour shortages, lowering harvesting costs and reducing waste through on-farm autonomous harvesting trials.
Fieldwork Robotics, an agtech startup, has raised £2.2m in a seed funding round led by Elbow Beach to move its raspberry-harvesting robots from validation into commercial trials — a step that matters for growers facing seasonal labour shortages, rising harvesting costs and pressure to reduce waste.
Why it matters
Fruit growers in the UK have struggled with tightening seasonal labour markets and higher operational costs. Autonomous harvesting that can match human pick quality promises to reduce reliance on temporary workers, cut waste from slow harvest windows and stabilise margins for berry producers. Fieldwork’s funding push signals growing investor interest in automation for horticulture and a practical path to putting robots in the field rather than confined to pilots.
Inside the product
Fieldwork develops selective, adaptive and modular robots designed to pick raspberries at human-equivalent quality. The system aims to work across whole farms, not just research plots, adapting to crop variability and different logistics environments.
The current funding will fund manufacturing of production robots for a two-year harvesting-as-a-service programme in Norfolk run with Place UK and trials at Littywood Farm in Stafford. Those partners will let growers test logistics, operational requirements and infrastructure ahead of wider rollout. Subject to successful trials, Fieldwork expects multi-robot fleets operating on farms from 2027 and plans further trials in Portugal and Australia as part of international expansion.
Who are the investors?
The £2.2m round was led by Elbow Beach, which contributed £1.45m in follow-on funding. That builds on Elbow Beach’s earlier £1.5m seed investment in 2023. The cash forms part of a broader £3m package that includes around £1.7m in project grants; Fieldwork has also secured a £1.6m Climate Grant and been awarded the Innovate UK Farm ADOPT grant, with activities due to start in June 2026. Place UK and Littywood Farm are named partners for the Innovate UK activity and the harvesting-as-a-service trials, offering operational testbeds and grower-facing evaluation.
In the announcement, Jon Pollock, CEO at Elbow Beach Capital, said:
Fieldwork has made impressive strides since our initial investment, building a robust technology and demonstrating a clear pathway to commercial impact. This round reflects our confidence in the team and their innovative technology, which tackles labour shortages, eases inflationary pressures, and meets the growing demand for automation in the sector. We are proud to continue our support for Fieldwork as they help food producers scale efficiently, expand into international markets, reduce waste, and drive sustainable growth.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of agtech venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of agtech angel investors in the UK
Founder perspective
In the announcement, David Fulton, CEO at Fieldwork Robotics, said:
Fieldwork is now entering its scale-up phase, moving from technology validation to full commercial adoption. We are excited to demonstrate how our autonomous raspberry harvesting robots can boost productivity, protect grower margins, and deliver sustainable harvesting solutions in the UK and globally as we build our international traction. With a strengthened leadership team and strong investor support, we are well-positioned to accelerate multi-robot deployment and drive the wider adoption of autonomous harvesting at farm level.
The bigger picture
Fieldwork’s move ties into several wider trends: increased funding for agtech solutions that address labour gaps, more grant support from bodies such as Innovate UK for on-farm automation, and growing emphasis on operational trials that test technology under real commercial constraints. The company’s plan to run harvesting-as-a-service trials reflects a common commercial route for robotics firms to bridge the gap between demos and large-scale adoption.
As UK horticulture looks to build resilience and exporters seek reliable supply chains, proving robots in British and overseas farms will be crucial. Fieldwork’s combination of private follow-on capital and public grants marks a typical finance mix for agtech firms attempting to scale hardware and logistics across multiple countries.
They've invested in Fieldwork Robotics
Get to know these agtech investors
Click here for a full list of 7,526+ startup investors in the UK