Dogtooth harvests growth with £14 million raise

A Cambridge-based robotics business is set to accelerate the rollout of artificial intelligence-powered harvesting technology after securing more than £14 million to expand its commercial operations.

Dogtooth Technologies has raised the funding through a combination of equity investment from 24 Haymarket, EMV Capital and ACF Investors, alongside grants from Innovate UK and a venture leasing facility from Kineo Finance.

The investment will support the commercial deployment of the company’s autonomous harvesting robots across the UK and overseas, while strengthening its technology platform. 

Dogtooth has already demonstrated the technology’s commercial potential, including supplying robotic harvesting systems to Dyson Farming.

Its robots combine computer vision, artificial intelligence and precision robotics to identify ripe fruit and harvest delicate crops in commercial growing environments.

Duncan Robertson, chief executive of Dogtooth Technologies, said: “This investment represents a significant milestone for Dogtooth and for the broader adoption of embodied AI in agriculture. 

“For many years, robotic harvesting has been viewed as a distant aspiration. 

“Today, growers are deploying our robots on commercial farms because labour shortages are a reality that cannot be ignored. 

“The convergence of AI, robotics and practical customer demand is creating a unique opportunity to transform the production of fruit and vegetable produce.”

Paul Tselentis, managing director of 24 Haymarket, added: “Dogtooth has established itself as one of the world’s leading agricultural robotics companies through a combination of deep technical expertise, perseverance, and commercial focus. 

“The team has achieved what many believed would be impossible: reliably harvesting delicate crops in real-world commercial environments. 

“We are delighted to support the company’s next phase of growth.”

The funding comes as the agricultural sector faces increasing labour shortages and rising seasonal employment costs, driving demand for automated harvesting solutions. 

Dogtooth believes its technology can help growers improve productivity, reduce reliance on seasonal workers and build more resilient food production systems.

The business is also positioning itself at the forefront of the rapidly growing embodied AI sector, applying artificial intelligence to machines capable of interacting with the physical world to automate complex harvesting tasks in commercial farming.

Tim Mills, managing partner of ACF Investors, added: “Having backed Dogtooth from its early days, we have seen the exceptional progress the company has made in developing and deploying technology that addresses one of agriculture’s most significant challenges and demonstrates the substantial commercial potential of robotics in the sector. 

“We are delighted to continue supporting the team as they accelerate global commercial growth.”

Ilian Iliev, managing director of EMV Capital, added: “Precision robotics and AI applied to agriculture at commercial scale is exactly the kind of outsized, real-world impact EMV Capital seeks to invest in. 

“Dogtooth exemplifies our investment thesis: finding world-class deeptech teams early, adding value through our platform, and scaling our commitment as the business proves itself. 

“Having backed the company since pre-seed through Martlet Capital, we are continuing that support through our EIS Fund and private practice – reflecting our view that the strongest investor relationships deepen as a business matures.”

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