UV Light Reduces Strawberry Pesticide Use at TRIC Robotics

Strawberries are America's most consumed and grown berry. However, they also rank among the most pesticide-dependent fruits and frequently lead the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of produce with high contamination levels.

TRIC Robotics, based in San Luis Obispo, California, believes its solution using UV light and robotics can help strawberry growers cut down on chemical applications.

The startup developed a fleet of tractor-sized autonomous robots that utilize UV-C light—a type of ultraviolet light mostly filtered by Earth's atmosphere—to eliminate bacteria and disrupt pest populations. These robots can treat up to 100 acres and are equipped with specialized vacuums to remove insect debris without damaging the plants.

TRIC operates its robots overnight as a service for farmers rather than selling the machines outright. Co-founder and CEO Adam Stager explained to TechCrunch that while this model is more challenging to scale, it proved to be the fastest way to gain initial traction.

"We collaborated extensively with growers to determine the best way to introduce the technology and the optimal business model," Stager said. "We learned that many farmers already pay for pest and disease control as a service, with companies coming in to handle spraying. We've essentially replaced that with our service-based approach."

Although Stager notes the company is now highly attuned to farmer needs, this wasn't always the case. In fact, TRIC didn't start out in agriculture at all.

Stager founded the company in 2017 after completing his PhD in robotics. Initially, TRIC focused on developing 3D-printed robots for SWAT teams. In 2020, Stager decided to pivot toward a field with greater potential impact and turned his attention to agriculture.

"I seriously asked myself, if I died tomorrow, would I be content with what I had achieved?" Stager recalled. "The answer led me to pursue work that could genuinely help many people and provide a sense of purpose. That journey brought me to agriculture, where I realized we could make a significant difference for nearly everyone."

Knowing from his academic experience that many promising technologies never leave the lab, Stager contacted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to explore innovations ready for commercialization.

He connected with a USDA program that links entrepreneurs like himself with scientists whose research hasn't yet been commercialized. This partnership introduced him to the UV light technology that became the foundation for TRIC's robotic systems.

"My co-founder Vishnu Somasundaram and I loaded two robots we built in my garage onto an SUV," Stager said. "With the USDA's help, we secured connections with two farmers willing to allocate small plots of land for testing in 2021. That was the true beginning of the company. We spent eight months traveling cross-country, staying in Airbnbs, deploying two robots, and collecting invaluable data alongside those growers."

Today, the company—co-founded by Stager, Somasundaram, and Ryan Berard—partners with four major strawberry producers, has nine robots in active deployment, and has three more units on the way.

TRIC Robotics recently closed a $5.5 million seed funding round led by Version One Ventures. The round included participation from Garage Capital, Todd and Rahul Capital, Lucas Venture Group, and several other investment firms and individual angel investors.

The company plans to allocate the new capital toward expanding its fleet of autonomous robots. TRIC also aims to eventually adapt its technology for use with other crop types.

"I believe the future for agricultural technology is exceptionally bright," Stager said. "People should know the industry is moving in a fantastic direction, with many exciting developments on the horizon."