$6.5 million investment for robotics startup

Founded by University of Sydney Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, and 2019 NSW Australian of the Year nominee Salah Sukkarieh, Agerris is an intelligent robotics company that has commercialised two robotics platforms designed to improve the productivity of livestock and horticultural farmers.     

The start up’s focus will be to equip farmers and growers with cutting-edge air and ground field robotic systems, intelligent tools and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, to improve farm productivity and to support animal welfare and environmental sustainability.

To support Agerris’s development of agricultural robotics systems, intelligent automated tools and artificial intelligence, the investment is one of the largest seed investment rounds raised for agricultural technology in Australia. The funding will be used to formally launch the start-up and roll out its platforms and data analytics tools both in Australia and internationally.

Leading Agerris as Chief Executive Officer, Professor Sukkarieh believes that agriculture and farming are experiencing demand for greater productivity due to a global population surge and rising incomes in developing countries. By 2050, experts have estimated that global food demand will increase between 59% and 98%.

“Farmers worldwide will need to increase production through enhancing agricultural productivity, yet many often struggle to afford the best customised advice for their farm, leading to sub-optimal yields and efficiencies from their crops,” said Professor Sukkarieh.

“Livestock farmers, meanwhile, face a number of competing and complex issues, such as high labour and fuel costs, as well as animal welfare and mismanagement concerns,” he explained.

“Our platforms help to mitigate these challenges and help increase productivity by giving farmers smart precision farming approaches, made possible through our advances in sensor technology and farming automation. At the same time, our technology also enhances animal welfare and environmental sustainability.”