TRIC Robotics

Cover Block

Attribute	Value
Company Name	TRIC Robotics
Tagline	Automating pest and disease control for strawberry farms using tractor-scale autonomous UV-C light robots.
Headquarters	San Luis Obispo, CA
Founded	2017
Stage	Seed
Business Model	Hardware + Software
Industry	Agtech
Technology	Robotics
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Seed (total disclosed ~$5,740,000)

Links

• Website: https://www.tricrobotics.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tric-robotics

Summary and Signal

TRIC Robotics provides automated pest and disease control for commercial strawberry farms using tractor-scale autonomous robots that apply UV-C light, a chemical-free alternative to conventional pesticides [The Robot Report, May 2024]. The company responds to mounting pressures in agriculture, including labor shortages, tightening pesticide regulations, and consumer demand for residue-free produce. Its technology originated from academic research at the University of Delaware, where co-founders Dr. Adam Stager and Vishnu Somasundaram developed the initial concept [Technical.ly, 2020s].

The core product, a robot named Luna, operates at night, integrating into existing field operations to deliver UV-C treatments as a service, which eliminates upfront capital costs for growers [Version One Ventures, May 2024]. This Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model aims to lower adoption barriers. Early pilot results indicate the approach can reduce pesticide use by up to 70 percent while maintaining or improving crop yields [rg-cs.co.uk].

Financed by a $5 million to $5.5 million seed round led by Version One Ventures in mid-2024, the company is backed by a syndicate of agtech-focused and generalist venture funds [Version One Ventures, May 2024]. The immediate focus is scaling deployments within the California strawberry market. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the critical watchpoints will be the rate of commercial farm adoption and the technical validation of the system's efficacy across a broader set of growing conditions.

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core company facts and funding details are confirmed by multiple independent sources including The Robot Report and Version One Ventures.

Company Overview

TRIC Robotics began as a research project at the University of Delaware, where co-founders Adam Stager and Vishnu Somasundaram developed the core technology for using UV-C light to manage crop pests and diseases [Technical.ly, 2020s]. The company was formally founded in 2017 and is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, where it participated as an incubator company at Cal Poly's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) [Cal Poly CIE, 2020s] [PitchBook, 2020s].

After its founding, the company secured early-stage capital from a consortium including Plug and Play Tech Center and the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology [PitchBook, 2020s]. A significant inflection point came in May 2024 with the close of a seed round led by Version One Ventures, which provided approximately $5 million to $5.5 million in capital [Version One Ventures, May 2024] [The Robot Report, May 2024]. Concurrently, the company began deploying its "Luna" robots on commercial strawberry farms, conducting pilot tests that demonstrated the efficacy of its UV-C treatment as a chemical alternative [delawaresbdc.org].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Founding story and headquarters confirmed by multiple regional and industry publications; funding rounds corroborated by lead investor announcement and trade press.

The Product and the Stack

TRIC Robotics’ core product is a service. The company deploys tractor-scale autonomous robots, named Luna, to commercial strawberry farms where they drive through rows at night, bathing crops in UV-C light to suppress pests and fungal diseases [The Robot Report, May 2024]. This method is a residue-free substitute for chemical pesticides [TRIC Robotics]. The technology is offered exclusively through a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, requiring no upfront capital investment from growers and creating a recurring revenue stream [Daniel Kitchen - Curie Innovations | LinkedIn, 2026].

Beyond the core UV-C application, public descriptions note the robots are also armed with bug vacuums [AgFunderNews, 2026]. The physical platform is engineered for farm durability, integrating autonomy, steel frames, and hydraulic components [TRIC Robotics]. Integration is designed to slot into standard nighttime tractor operations. The company’s public messaging emphasizes proven results against mites, mildew, and mold, citing pilot data from partner farms [TRIC Robotics].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Product claims are consistently reported across company website, investor announcements, and multiple press outlets.

The Market They Are Entering

The market for non-chemical crop protection is being reshaped by regulatory pressure, consumer preference, and labor scarcity. The global market for agricultural biologicals is projected to reach $27.9 billion by 2026 [World Economic Forum, 2026].

Demand for TRIC Robotics' service is driven by regulatory pressure on conventional pesticides, particularly in California [AgFunderNews, 2026]. Labor availability for manual scouting and spraying remains a chronic challenge [The Robot Report, May 2024]. Consumer and retailer demand for produce with reduced chemical residues is a further pull, with major berry marketers like Driscoll's actively collaborating on alternative methods [linkedin.com/posts/tric-robotics, 2026].

The company's initial focus is the high-value strawberry market. Adjacent and substitute markets include other specialty crops susceptible to powdery mildew and mites, such as grapes, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The key substitute market remains the conventional chemical pesticide industry.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is inferred from analogous sector reports; demand drivers are corroborated by multiple industry sources.

The Competitive Field

TRIC Robotics occupies a segment within agricultural robotics, competing on a specific, non-chemical method of pest control for high-value specialty crops. Incumbent chemical and biological pesticide manufacturers represent the primary market that TRIC aims to displace. Within the robotics challenger category, Saga Robotics is the most direct competitor, also deploying autonomous vehicles with UV-C light for disease suppression in strawberries and grapes, primarily in European markets [The Robot Report, May 2024].

TRIC's defensible edge rests on its early commercial foothold in California's strawberry industry and its capital-efficient RaaS model [Daniel Kitchen - Curie Innovations | LinkedIn, 2026]. The company's integration into the Central Coast agtech ecosystem through the Cal Poly CIE incubator and investors like Western Growers provides a distribution and validation channel [Cal Poly CIE]. The company is most exposed to Saga Robotics, which has a multi-year head start and has publicly discussed expanding its UV-C treatment service to North America.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor identification is confirmed, but detailed comparative metrics on market share, pricing, and technological specifications are not publicly available.

Opportunity

The prize for TRIC Robotics is to become the category-defining platform for non-chemical crop protection in high-value specialty agriculture. Pilot testing at Fifer showed positive results with similar yields between chemical and UV-C treatment [delawaresbdc.org]. Farms using its robots have reported pesticide use reductions of up to 70 percent [rg-cs.co.uk].

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst	Why it's plausible
Vertical Expansion in Berries	TRIC becomes the default pest control service for the North American berry industry.	A formal, scaled partnership with a major berry distributor like Driscoll's [linkedin.com/posts/tric-robotics, 2026].	Pest and disease profiles across berries are similar.
Horizontal Expansion to Other High-Value Crops	The RaaS model is proven in greenhouse and protected cultivation.	A product launch of a new robot configuration optimized for vine or trellis crops [Version One Ventures, May 2024].	UV-C's efficacy against fungal pathogens and mites is not crop-specific.
Regulatory & Standard Setting	TRIC's protocol becomes a certified organic or residue-free treatment standard.	Inclusion of UV-C treatment in a major organic certification body's approved materials list.	The agricultural community is beginning to accept UV light as an effective alternative [linkedin.com/posts/tric-robotics, 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Growth scenarios and compounding mechanics are inferred from product claims and early traction reports.

Sources

1. [The Robot Report, May 2024] TRIC Robotics raises seed funding to help farmers control pests and plant disease | https://www.therobotreport.com/tric-robotics-raises-seed-funding-help-farmers-control-pests-plant-disease/
2. [Version One Ventures, May 2024] Announcing our investment in TRIC Robotics - Automating pest and disease control | https://versionone.vc/announcing-tric/
3. [Technical.ly, 2020s] TRIC Robotics | https://technical.ly/company/tric-robotics/
4. [Cal Poly CIE, 2020s] Incubator Spotlight: TRIC Robotics | https://cie.calpoly.edu/incubator-spotlight-tric-robotics/
5. [TRIC Robotics] TRIC Robotics - Automating pest control with light | https://www.tricrobotics.com/
6. [Daniel Kitchen - Curie Innovations | LinkedIn, 2026] TRIC Robotics deploys a service model that requires no upfront investment from farmers | https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-kitchen-6b430a9a/
7. [World Economic Forum, 2026] Questions Davos leaders are asking in 2026 | https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/questions-davos-leaders-are-asking-2026/
8. [linkedin.com/posts/tric-robotics, 2026] Collaborates with Driscoll's | https://www.linkedin.com/company/tric-robotics