Frontier IP welcomes the following announcement from portfolio company Fieldwork Robotics (“Fieldwork” or the “Company”) that it is now entering scale up of its autonomous harvesting robot technology after raising £3 million through:
- a £2.2 million equity funding round led by Elbow Beach with support from other existing investors
- £1.7 million in project grants, with funding awarded from Innovate UK and £775k of this being grant / non-dilutive funding to Fieldwork.
Fieldwork has developed the world’s first raspberry-harvesting robots, and the technology has now been validated following extensive field trials in the UK and Portugal. The investment will now allow Fieldwork to enter full commercial trials, including a two-year harvesting as a service programme in Norfolk, with food company Place UK. If the trials are successful, Fieldwork expects robot fleets to be operating on farms during 2027.
Frontier IP chief executive officer Neil Crabb said:
We are delighted with the progress that Fieldwork has made and that the Company is now advancing towards full commercial scale up of its unique berry-harvesting technology. The success of this funding round, supported by Elbow Beach and existing investors, demonstrates the confidence they have in Fieldwork’s commercial strategy.
Fieldwork Robotics announcement begins:
Fieldwork Robotics Enters Scale-Up Phase with £3 million Funding
Investment and grant funding to drive farm adoption and commercialisation of autonomous raspberry harvesting
- Elbow Beach leads £2.2 million investment round, with support from existing investors
- £1.7 million in project grants, with funding awarded from Innovate UK, supplementing the equity raise
- Funding will move the business from a start-up to scale-up as Fieldwork moves from tech validation stage to farm adoption
- UK deployment programme confirmed with Place UK, with planned trials in Portugal and Australia
Cambridge, April 2026 – Fieldwork Robotics Ltd., (“Fieldwork”), developers of selective, adaptive and modular harvesting robots, is pleased to announce that it has received £3 million in funding, including a £2.2 million investment round led by Elbow Beach. The investment will enable Fieldwork to accelerate farm adoption of its autonomous harvesting technology and transition from the technology validation stage to commercial trials.
Berry growers worldwide are facing rising labour costs, a shortage of available fruit pickers, and supply chain pressures that are driving up harvesting wages. These challenges increase food waste, push up consumer prices, and contribute to higher climate emissions. Fieldwork’s autonomous harvesting robots help to address these issues by reducing reliance on seasonal labour, boosting productivity, and operating efficiently across entire farms, helping growers protect margins and scale production sustainably.
This investment enables Fieldwork to manufacture its new production robots for deployment in a 2-year harvesting-as-a-service programme in Norfolk with Place UK, as well as Littywood Farm in Stafford. These trials will allow growers to evaluate logistics, operational requirements, and infrastructure needs ahead of wider adoption. Subject to these trials, Fieldwork expects multi-robot fleets to be operating on farms from 2027, with planned international trials in Portugal and Australia as part of Fieldwork’s global expansion strategy.
Elbow Beach is contributing £1.45 million in follow-on funding to Fieldwork, building on their £1.5 million seed investment from 2023, which supported the development and validation of Fieldwork’s robotics and AI technology. This follow-on investment reinforces Elbow Beach’s growing confidence in the company’s commercial strategy and path to scale.
Supplementing the £2.2 million round, Fieldwork has secured a £1.6 million Climate Grant and has been awarded the Innovate UK Farm ADOPT grant delivered in collaboration with Place UK and Littywood Farm, with activities scheduled to commence in June 2026.
David Fulton, Fieldwork Robotics CEO commented:
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.
Jon Pollock, CEO of Elbow Beach Capital, commented:
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.