Charlotte Cane MP visited Cambridge-based Fieldwork Robotics last Friday to learn how private capital investment is supporting the development of cutting-edge agricultural technology.
During a visit to the company’s facility at Cambridge Innovation Park, the MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire heard how investment from venture capital firm Elbow Beach has enabled Fieldwork Robotics to accelerate the development of its autonomous berry-harvesting technology, expand its team, increase manufacturing capacity and prepare for commercial deployment with growers in the UK and internationally.
Charlotte Cane MP said:
“It was a pleasure to visit Fieldwork Robotics and see first-hand the innovative work taking place right here in my constituency of Ely and East Cambridgeshire.
Our region is home to some of the world’s leading technology and research businesses, and companies like Fieldwork Robotics are showing how that expertise can be applied to real-world challenges. With the backing of investors like Elbow Beach, Fieldwork Robotics is developing advanced robotics for agriculture, helping farmers address labour shortages, improve productivity and strengthen the long-term resilience of food production.
I look forward to following Fieldwork Robotics’ progress and the positive contribution it can make to farming both here in the UK and around the world.”
Following initial technology development and validation, the company is now entering its scale-up phase, with commercial trials of its autonomous raspberry-harvesting robots taking place on farms across the UK and further international trials planned.
Private capital plays an important role in supporting business growth across the East of England. UK Private Capital data shows that as of 2025, private capital supports 194,000 jobs and 935 businesses across the region, and contributes £13 billion to regional GDP.
David Fulton, CEO of Fieldwork Robotics, said:
“Charlotte’s visit came at the perfect time. It’s the UK’s hottest summer on record, and extreme weather is already squeezing yields across the country. When labour shortages mean growers can’t harvest what they’ve managed to grow, that waste compounds – and that’s exactly the gap our robots are built to close.
It was fantastic to show Charlotte the progress we’ve made with the backing of Elbow Beach, in tackling labour shortages and food waste head on, and to talk through what that investment means for building more resilient, home-grown supply chains here in the UK.”
Michael Moore, Chief Executive of UK Private Capital, said:
“Fieldwork Robotics is a great example of the cutting-edge innovation that is backed by private capital.
“Our industry is a partner for economic growth, backing businesses across the East of England East and throughout the UK that create jobs, strengthen local economies and help tackle some of the most important challenges facing society.”
Jonathan Pollock, CEO of Elbow Beach, said:
“We first backed Fieldwork in 2023 when the technology was still being validated. Since then, the team has proven the case: robots that pick reliably, at scale, on real farms. Our funding has helped Fieldwork move from validation into full commercial deployment, with new farm trials underway in the UK and international expansion on the horizon. Charlotte Cane saw that journey first-hand today, and we’re proud to keep backing Fieldwork as it scales.”
