Uniseed, Carthona Capital and BridgeLane Group provided the funding for University of Sydney-founded Agerris, which is preparing to commercialise products including robotic farm hand systems.

Agerris, an Australia-based developer of farming robotics technology based on University of Sydney research, has secured A$6.5m ($4.6m) in a round backed by multi-university venture fund Uniseed.
Uniseed was joined in the round by venture capital firm Carthona Capital and alternative asset manager BridgeLane Group.
Agerris manufactures artificial intelligence-powered products including an air and ground-based field robotics system that enhances productivity on farms while improving animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
The company has already built two robotics products geared towards livestock and horticultural farmers. It will use the capital injection to formally launch its business, as it prepares to commercially roll out of its technology and data analytics services in Australia and internationally.
Salah Sukkarieh, a professor of robotics and intelligent systems affiliated to University of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics and Sydney Institute of Agriculture, co-founded Agerris and is leading the company as CEO.
In addition to University of Sydney, Uniseed’s backers include the Universities of Melbourne, Queensland and New South Wales, as well as research institute Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
The fund is in the process of launching a new A$35.5m ($25.2m) vehicle to follow its third commercialisation fund, which was the same size and which had made 19 investments as of November 2018.
Uniseed investment manager Anthony Musumeci said: “Agerris has developed groundbreaking technology that not only addresses the growing need for increased agricultural productivity but promises to radically transform the farming process and make Australia a world-leader in intelligent farm systems.”