Global interest in agricultural technology startups is growing

Cambridge-based agricultural technology startup Outfield provides orchard management and yield estimation system for high-value fruit crops such as apples, pears and peaches. The company system has generated enough interest that it is already in use on three continents.

Fruit growers use Outfield to deploy cost-effective, ready-to-use drone systems, quickly monitor orchards and collect high-resolution images. Outfield then uses machine learning to analyze the images, providing detailed maps of tree status and fruit bearing. This allows farmers to produce more fruit according to specifications, reducing orchard losses by up to 20%, using fewer chemicals on the land and requiring less manual labor.

Outfield already works with growers in the UK, Europe, South Africa, Chile and New Zealand.

British investment bank Turquoise, which specializes in energy, environment and efficiency, led the financing process at Outfield. The investments were created, as part of a £750,000 round which also includes Cambridge Agritech, Deeptech Labs and Amadeus.

Source: Cambridgenetwork.co.uk