Antobot Will Deploy 300 Strawberry Robots by 2027
The robotics firm is shifting its business model from service subscriptions to equipment sales for global growers.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Robotics
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Antobot plans to achieve 300 autonomous robot deployments in strawberry crops by 2027. The company is simultaneously transitioning its clients from a robots-as-a-service model to customer-owned equipment.
Why it matters
Growers are looking to reduce chemical fungicide use, input costs, and labor requirements. Moving to an ownership model helps the company scale its operations while addressing these specific agricultural challenges.
Antobot robots utilize UV-C light application to damage the DNA of fungal pathogens, effectively preventing them from replicating on strawberry plants.
The players
Antobot
This company produces autonomous robots that use UV-C light to treat crops and minimize chemical use.
Ke Lu
He is one of the co-founders of Antobot who helped establish the firm in 2019.
Howard Wu
He is a co-founder of Antobot who launched the robotics venture to innovate agricultural practices.
The details
Founded in 2019, the company currently operates across the UK, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada, and parts of Asia. It has secured distributor agreements in the UK and Spain while establishing a joint venture to facilitate growth in Asian markets.
Timeline
2019: Antobot was founded by Ke Lu and Howard Wu.
2025: The company operated exclusively through its robots-as-a-service model.
2027: Antobot targets the completion of 300 autonomous robot deployments.
The Tech Race
This pivot reflects a structural shift away from the robots-as-a-service model toward direct hardware sales. By transitioning to customer ownership, Antobot aims to overcome the scaling challenges inherent in maintaining a large leased fleet.
Strawberry growers will soon transition from renting robotics services to owning equipment outright. This shift requires farmers to plan for new capital investments while gaining long-term autonomy over their crop protection routines.
The takeaway
The move toward equipment ownership signals a maturing market for agricultural robotics that favors permanent adoption over leasing. Growers should evaluate their long-term infrastructure needs as companies move away from service-based delivery.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Robotics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AgFunderNews.
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