Ag-tech robotics company Small Robot Company, which was known for a series of autonomous vehicles known as Tom, Dick, Harry and Wilma, has been put into liquidation.
Last summer the company, which has been involved in a number of ag-tech research projects, announced that its lead investor had pulled out and it launched a crowdfunding campaign to enable operations to continue. It has been reported that a large number of farmers had invested in the company, and it is currently not clear if they will get any of their money back.
In a statement, the company said: ‘It is with great sadness that after a long fight Small Robot Company today proceeds into liquidation. Out technology delivered value at a profit, with customers waiting, but we could not secure the required investment to scale.
‘We have created something remarkable in the last 6 years. We co-designed our service with farmers, successfully delivering their ‘Holy Grail’, a world first: grass weed detection at field scale. This went commercially live in September, with huge potential: UK blackgrass alone loses farmers £400 million each year. Service last season demonstrated up to 90% herbicide and 24% fertiliser savings.
‘We believe we developed something that will be a cornerstone of how farms are run in the future, but unfortunately with this attempt we were too early for the market. Our chapter in the fourth agricultural revolution is over. We hope we have inspired others to continue the mission.’
Kroll were appointed as administrators for the business on 1 February 2024.