Can Nanovel crack agriculture’s toughest robotics challenge?

Israeli agtech start-up Nanovel has secured €2.5 million from the European Innovation Council to advance autonomous citrus-harvesting robots, which use AI and patented robotics to pick fruit hidden within dense tree canopies. The company is targeting commercial launch by 2028, aiming to address labor shortages and high harvesting costs in citrus production, with Spain set as a key testing ground. Nanovel’s technology, if proven effective in real-world trials, could overcome one of agriculture's toughest automation challenges and pave the way for expansion into other specialty crops.