- Organifarms announces cooperation with Würth Electronics
Munich. Thanks to state-of-the-art LED boards, harvesting robot BERRY from Organifarms can work under all lighting conditions. The Constance-based startup announced a collaboration with Würth Electronics at the DLD conference on Friday - the experts at Würth will support the young company in terms of lighting.
"We are happy to have Würth Electronics as another strong cooperation partner," says Hannah Brown, CCO and co-founder at Organifarms. The startup bases its hardware on off-the-shelf components, as the partners are already experts in their respective fields, Brown says. For example, BERRY's manipulator is manufactured by Munich-based Franka Emika, and Organifarms partners with the Dutch horticulture company Metazet FormFlex for the mobile platform. "In our development we focus on the innovative software and the interaction of the components," Brown adds. This has enabled them to develop one of the first fully automated harvesting robots over the past three years.
"It was clear to us from a very early stage that the robot should be able to work 24 hours a day," says Dominik Feiden, CEO and co-founder of Organifarms. "Würth Electronics brings a wide range of experience in this area, which we greatly appreciate." After all, working around the clock makes BERRY more efficient and attractive to its customer group, which consists of growers with greenhouse cultivation. Currently, the robot can harvest around 240 kilograms of strawberries per day.
"For a sustainable agriculture, it is important for us as a technology expert to support agritech start-ups with our knowledge and solutions and thus help bring innovations to the market faster. In addition, we are expanding our own horizons with strong and visionary partners to be prepared for tomorrow today," said Alexander Gerfer, CTO of Würth Electronics. "We are pleased that this cooperation once again demonstrates the opportunities that arise from new ideas, further developments and close cooperation."
In a joint discussion at the DLD conference, both parties agreed - harvesting robots are the first step of many into a future in which greenhouses and agriculture will be further automated and digitized. The first models of the fully automated harvesting robot will start their work this year.
About Organifarms
Organifarms GmbH develops farm robots for the automation of labor-intensive tasks. The first product is a harvesting robot for strawberries that also handles quality control and packing of the fruit. At the heart of the innovation lies a self-learning software that allows the robot to achieve great results, even in difficult and changing conditions.
More information about Organifarms is available on the company's website: www.organifarms.de
About Würth Electronic eiSos Group
Würth Elektronik eiSos Group is one of the largest European manufacturers of passive components and a technology enabler for future-oriented electronics solutions. The company is active in 50 countries. Production sites in Europe, Asia and North America supply the growing number of customers worldwide.
With an extensive product portfolio and a strong service orientation, the company is driving numerous innovations in future-oriented areas, including sensor technology, mobility, wireless connectivity or horticulture LED lighting, e.g. for vertical farming. The focus here is not just on the technology, but above all on its positive impact on society.
Würth Elektronik is part of the Würth Group, the global market leader in the development, manufacture and sale of assembly and fastening materials, and employs 8,000 people. In 2021, the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group generated sales of EUR 1.09 billion.
Würth Elektronik: more than you expect!
More Information: www.we-online.com
​Contact Organifarms Hannah Louise Brown Bücklestraße 3 78467 Konstanz +49 7531 71407 | Contact Würth Electronics Sarah Hurst Max-Eyth-Straße 1 74638 Waldenburg Telefon: +49 7942 945-5186 sarah.hurst@we-online.de |
(1) Aman Dogra, Hannah Brown and Alexander Gerfer (left to right) on stage at the DLD Conference in Munich on January 13th. ©Picture Alliance for DLD / Hubert Burda Media
(2) Harvesting Robot BERRY at the DLD Conference in Munich. ©Picture Alliance for DLD / Hubert Burda Media