Danish Seasony raises € 1.5 million to bring Watney robot to vertical farms

Watney is a fully autonomous mobile robot that automates core processes in vertical farming to reduce labor costs and increase yields. - Photos: Seasony

Seasony, active in mobile robotics for vertical farming, reports the closing of its latest funding round, securing € 1.5 million in investment from a group of investors. The round was led by North Ventures and EFIO (Export and Investment Fund of Denmark).

This funding will help Seasony forward in its mission to make indoor farming more scalable, profitable, and sustainable through mobile robotics technology. The funds allow Seasony to accelerate its product development and expand towards markets in the Middle East and North America.

Mobile robotics automation to indoor farming

Watney is also a modular automation platform that accommodates all types of jobs in a vertical farm.

The core of Seasony is to bring mobile robotics automation, otherwise mostly known from Amazon warehouses, into indoor farming. Using mobile robots, growers are offered an automated solution as an alternative to both scissor lifts as well as static elevators and conveyor belts.

“We aspire for Watney to be the John Deere of indoor farming. Watney handles both heavy and dangerous lifting while analyzing each plant down to the smallest detail – with a memory that enables vertical farms to significantly streamline operations and get more output from every square meter,” says Christopher Weis Thomasen, co-founder and CEO of Seasony.

Watney can work around the clock, from the moment the seeds are sown to when the plants are harvested. When Watney moves around in a vertical farm, it takes care of tasks such as moving plant trays up and down from 10-meter-high shelves and transporting them to different stations. All while constantly analyzing, reporting, and storing data about the characteristics of each individual plant and the environment in which they grow.

A combination of sensors, robotics, and algorithms from Seasony allows for intervention at a much earlier stage in the vertical farming process. If a plant needs more water, nutrients, light, or CO_2, then the systems will be able to provide this critical information.