Eternal.ag, a Cologne-based startup, has raised approximately $10 million from European investors to deploy autonomous harvesting robots in greenhouses. Led by CEO Renji John, the company addresses severe labour shortages in controlled environment agriculture through physical AI and robotics. The startup's battery-powered robots operate 22 hours daily in tomato-growing greenhouses, navigating on rails or concrete floors using sensors and computer vision. The technology eliminates the need for six human operators per 10-hectare facility, reducing annual labour costs of $250,000 in developed economies. Eternal.ag operates on a robots-as-a-service model, generating revenue based on produce harvested. The company announced its first paying customer, Van Noord Growers in the Netherlands, which has deployed one robot since September 2025 with plans to add more for tomatoes and cucumbers.

Robotics startup eternal.ag secures EUR 8 million to make greenhouses fully automated