AgTech innovator SAIA Agrobotics has raised €10 million in Series A funding to accelerate the commercial rollout of its automated “inverted greenhouse” system, which increases crop yields and reduces labor requirements in controlled-environment agriculture.
The round was led by Check24, with participation from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, and existing investors Navus Ventures and Oost NL. The investment brings SAIA’s total funding to over €20 million and follows its showcase as one of eight EIC-backed startups at the 2025 EU-Startups Summit, solidifying its reputation as a rising European AgTech leader.
“We’ve completed the world’s first automated greenhouse, where plants go to the robot once a week for scanning and harvesting,” said Dr. Ruud Barth, CEO and Founder of SAIA Agrobotics. “Our goal is a 20% yield increase with a 50% reduction in total labor — a major step toward a more local, resilient, and sustainable food supply.”
Reimagining greenhouse automation
Unlike conventional automation systems where robots move through greenhouses, SAIA reverses the model: plants travel to the robots. This inversion gives robots full access to each plant in a standardized environment, enabling ultra-precise harvesting, trimming, and monitoring.
“The SAIA system allows year-round harvesting — 52 weeks a year — with industrial-grade precision,” said Georg Heusgen, Director at Check24. “By bringing the product to the robot, SAIA achieves over 99% harvesting accuracy, ensuring better quality and real labor cost savings.”
SAIA’s solution directly addresses one of the greenhouse industry’s biggest challenges — labor shortages. With global demand for fresh, sustainably grown food expected to rise 30–50% by 2050, automation is becoming essential. Dutch greenhouse technology already leads global markets in efficient production of crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, and Rabobank projects 5,000 hectares of new high-tech greenhouse projects annually worldwide.
“SAIA Agrobotics has developed breakthrough technology that redefines automation and logistics in greenhouse production,” said Jaap Zijlstra, Director at Navus Ventures. “It’s a major leap forward in efficiency and sustainability.”
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Scaling a new era of smart farming
Founded in 2017 as a spinout from Wageningen University & Research, SAIA Agrobotics spent six years developing its patented system, securing multiple international patents. The company’s first commercial deployment is already underway with Growers United, one of the Netherlands’ largest greenhouse cooperatives.
“SAIA is a strong example of how deep tech from the Netherlands can solve global food challenges,” said Wout Morrenhof, Investment Manager at Oost NL. “Their technology combines digitization, robotics, and sustainability to address both labor shortages and food security.”
The new capital will accelerate commercialization, manufacturing scale-up, and international expansion as SAIA prepares to bring its system to market next year.
“The EIC Fund is proud to back SAIA’s vision to make sustainable food production smarter through automation,” added Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board. “Their technology can reduce greenhouse labor by 50% while increasing yields by 20% — that’s transformative impact.”
About SAIA Agrobotics
SAIA Agrobotics is a Dutch AgTech company pioneering autonomous indoor farming through its patented inverted greenhouse system, where plants move to the robot for monitoring and harvesting. Founded in 2017 in Ede, SAIA combines robotics, AI, and horticultural science to boost yields, cut labor costs, and enable sustainable, high-quality food production — ensuring every community has access to fresh produce year-round.
