Eternal.ag raises €8M to automate greenhouse harvesting with AI-powered robots

Eternal.ag Secures €8 Million to Revolutionize Greenhouse Automation with AI-Powered Harvesting Robots

In a major leap forward for sustainable agriculture and robotics, Cologne-based agtech startup Eternal.ag has announced a fresh €8 million funding round to accelerate its mission of automating greenhouse operations. The investment was led by Simon Capital, with participation from Oyster Bay Venture Capital, EquityPitcher Ventures, and Backbone Ventures.

Eternal.ag is building the future of farming—one where greenhouses operate autonomously, without reliance on manual labor, thanks to intelligent robots that can plant, prune, harvest, and monitor crops with precision. Their first commercial product, Harvester, is a fully autonomous harvesting robot designed specifically for tomato greenhouses. Capable of working up to 22 hours a day, Harvester uses AI to ensure consistent produce quality and efficient cutting techniques.

Why This Matters: The Looming Crisis in Greenhouse Labor

Greenhouses have become a cornerstone of modern agriculture, offering a climate-resilient, high-yield solution for year-round food production. Unlike traditional outdoor farming, greenhouses are less vulnerable to extreme weather, pests, and seasonal disruptions. However, they face a growing and existential challenge: labor shortages.

In Europe alone, the agricultural workforce in greenhouses has declined by 30% since 2010, and experts predict this trend will only accelerate. Aging populations, urbanization, and the physically demanding nature of harvesting work have made it increasingly difficult for growers to find and retain workers. This labor crisis threatens the stability of the fresh produce supply chain.

Eternal.ag’s solution? Robots that work tirelessly, intelligently, and autonomously—ensuring greenhouses can operate even when human labor is unavailable or inconsistent.

The Technology: Simulation-First Development for Real-World Reliability

At the heart of Eternal.ag’s approach is a “simulation-first” development strategy. CEO and co-founder Renji John explains that by training and testing robots in virtual greenhouse environments, the team can iterate rapidly—cutting development cycles from months to days. This allows the robots to handle the variability of real-world farming, from different plant layouts to changing daily conditions.

“Every robot action feeds data back into the system,” John says, “which is designed to learn, improve, and scale.” This continuous feedback loop ensures that as more robots are deployed, the entire system becomes smarter and more efficient.

A Vision for the Future: Fully Automated Greenhouses by 2040

Eternal.ag’s ambitions go far beyond tomatoes. The company envisions a future where entire greenhouse operations are fully automated, with no manual intervention required. Their modular platform is designed to expand over time, adding new robotic functions to serve a wider variety of crops and greenhouse tasks.

This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about building a resilient, decentralized food supply chain capable of withstanding the pressures of climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity.

Investor Confidence: A Vote of Confidence in Sustainable Innovation

Investors are betting big on Eternal.ag’s vision. Niklas Leske, Principal at Simon Capital, highlighted the urgency of the problem: “Climate change, labor shortages, and rising demand are pushing food production to its limits. Greenhouse horticulture is one of the most efficient and sustainable ways to grow fresh produce year-round. Yet, labor shortages put the industry at risk, and robotics is the only future-proof solution.”

Leske praised Eternal.ag’s team for their deep understanding of growers’ challenges and their measured, sustainable approach to solving them.

About the Company: A Global Team with Local Roots

Eternal.ag was founded by Renji John and Sherry Kunjachan, who have assembled a diverse team of 26 employees working across Europe and India. The company is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, with additional offices in Bengaluru, India.

The new funding will be used to accelerate product development, expand commercial deployments across Europe, and extend to additional crop types—bringing the benefits of autonomous greenhouse farming to more growers and consumers.

The Bigger Picture: Robotics as the Future of Food Security

As the global population grows and climate change disrupts traditional agriculture, the need for innovative, sustainable food production methods has never been greater. Greenhouse farming, powered by robotics and AI, offers a compelling solution: higher yields, lower resource use, and year-round reliability.

Eternal.ag is at the forefront of this transformation, proving that technology can not only increase efficiency but also address some of the most pressing challenges facing our food systems.

Tags:
AgTech, Robotics, AI, Greenhouse Automation, Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, Labor Shortage, Innovation, Future of Farming, Autonomous Systems, Climate Resilience, Tech Investment, European Startups

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