Israeli ag-tech startup Nanovel has been awarded a €2.5 million non-dilutive grant through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe program. In addition, the EIC has selected the company as a candidate for an equity investment of up to €4.3 million, which could serve as an anchor investment in Nanovel’s planned €8 million funding round.

According to the company, the grant will be used to complete development of the commercial version of its autonomous harvesting robot, finance field trials in European citrus orchards, and accelerate its transition from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 to TRL 9, ahead of a planned commercial launch in 2028. Nanovel is already conducting field trials in Spain and Italy, following validation trials in California carried out in collaboration with the Citrus Research Board (CRB).

Nanovel is addressing one of agriculture’s most pressing challenges: the growing shortage of manual labor for fruit harvesting. According to the company, manual picking accounts for roughly 50% of production costs for citrus growers, making automation a potentially significant driver of profitability while helping alleviate labor shortages.

Founded in 2018 by Itzik Mazor, former founder and CEO of Jordan Valley Semiconductor, which was acquired by Bruker, Nanovel is developing an autonomous harvesting robot powered by artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced robotics. The system is designed to tackle one of the industry’s most difficult technical challenges: harvesting fresh fruit concealed within dense foliage without causing damage.

At the core of the platform is a combination of deep learning models for fruit detection, an advanced computer vision system, and multiple telescopic robotic arms operating simultaneously. Unlike conventional harvesting robots that simply pull fruit from the tree, Nanovel has developed a proprietary Grip & Trim mechanism that gently grasps and cradles each fruit before precisely cutting its stem. The approach is designed to preserve fruit quality—an essential requirement in the fresh produce market, where even minor damage to the peel can significantly reduce commercial value.

The platform’s central computer coordinates the operation of all robotic arms and enables remote fleet management of multiple harvesting robots. Beyond harvesting, the system continuously collects agronomic data and supports selective picking based on fruit size and ripeness.

Nanovel is currently focused on harvesting oranges and lemons, but its technology roadmap includes expanding the platform to additional crops such as mangoes, peaches, and nectarines. The company’s long-term vision extends beyond replacing individual workers: it aims to provide a fully autonomous harvesting platform capable of operating around the clock in existing orchards, without requiring growers to redesign or modify their orchards to accommodate robotic harvesting.

Photo credit: Tal Bardak