Last year, AISPRID deployed 30 of their autonomous greenhouse deleafers across five major French tomato cooperatives—and they are planning to expand rapidly over the next few years. To support this growth, the company has successfully completed a €10 million Series A funding round. This investment includes €6.2 million in equity financing, supported by, among others, growers themselves.
Autonomous tomato deleafing
Founded in 2020, AISPRID specializes in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for complex agricultural tasks. "Our product, a patented robot for autonomous tomato deleafing, is currently the most widely deployed solution in its category worldwide," shares CEO Nicolas Salmon. He explains that this innovation addresses one of the most labor-intensive processes in high-tech greenhouse production, helping growers overcome labor shortages while increasing operational efficiency.
The company's achievements in 2024 marked a scaling milestone, with 30 units deployed across five major French tomato cooperatives, representing 70% of the domestic greenhouse tomato market. "We transitioned from being a Deep Tech start-up to a structured company, integrating all the services our customers need. This positioning has enabled us to build a solid climate of trust, reflected in a sharp increase in orders," Nicolas says.
Not only has the market grown, but the product itself has also evolved. "By early 2025, significant advancements have already been implemented. The AISPRID robot's working capacity has more than doubled, enabling deleafing to be carried out at night. Additionally, the robot is now fully autonomous in switching rows, eliminating the need for human intervention in this task," he adds.
These developments are driven by close collaboration with growers, Nicolas emphasizes. "Our partnership with growers has been the cornerstone of our success. Their feedback ensures our robots solve real-world challenges, from efficiency gains to labor cost reductions." AISPRID collaborates with Prince de Bretagne, Savéol, Solarenn, Océane, and Les Paysans de Rougeline, together representing 70% of the French tomato acreage. Collaborating with such industry leaders will remain central to AISPRID's strategy as it scales production and expands its market footprint.
Aisprid D01 pictured
"This round of financing will enable us to accelerate our roadmap and roll out our solution on a much larger scale. We aim to increase our production capacity, enhance our R&D efforts, and accelerate our commercialization strategy, particularly in international markets," Nicolas reveals.
Looking ahead, Nicolas comments on AISPRID's ambitions: "Our goal is to deliver a robot that not only meets growers' needs but exceeds their expectations. By enhancing features like cutting precision, speed, and full autonomy, we're setting a new standard in agricultural robotics. In 2025, this renewed focus will drive further R&D efforts, optimizing the AISPRID robot with improved cutting quality, increased speed, and a new version on the horizon."
To support its growth, the company plans to move into a new industrial facility in 2025, designed to handle higher production volumes. AISPRID will also expand its team, which currently consists of 30 employees, to meet the increasing demand. "This expansion will enable us to meet strong demand from tomato growers, evidenced by numerous incoming requests for the robot," Nicolas says.
The series A financing round of €10 million includes €6.2 million in dilutive financing. This fund-raising is led by Innovacom (Turenne Groupe) alongside the French Tech Seed fund managed by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, business angels (including industry experts such as tomato growers), and historical funds.
Nicolas concludes by expressing gratitude: "We would like to thank our long-standing financial partners for their continued support, and we are delighted to welcome new major investors who understand the challenges we face."
For more information:
Aisprid
6 Allée Métis
35400 Saint-Malo - France
[email protected]
www.aisprid.com