TRIC Robotics Uses UV Light to Slash Pesticides in Strawberry Farming

How Robots Are Turning Strawberry Farming Into a Sci‑Fi Reality

Strawberries — the juicily sweet superstar that’s stealing hats (and also the most pesticide‑heavy fruit on the grocery shelf) — are making farmers look twice at the chemicals they rely on. That’s where the San Luis Obispo‑based startup TRIC Robotics steps in, armed with a quirky mix of UV‑C light and wheeled barkers that sniff out bugs like a detective on a mission.

Why UV‑C? Because Bacteria Get Toasted

UV‑C light, the kind that the Earth’s atmosphere keeps out of a nutshell, works like a microwave for microbes. When it zaps the air over ripe strawberries, it not only kills the little bacteria but also puts the pests in a very uncomfortable situation. The result? A cleaner crop without the farmer’s shotgun of chemicals.

A Crop‑Sleuthing Robot Crew

Picture a tractor that can cover up to 100 acres of berry patch in a single night. Each machine is a semi‑autonomous beast that uses UV‑C lamps for pest‑busting and a vacuum system that collects bug residues without ruining the fruit. The robots are designed to be as gentle on the plants as a cat’s paw.

Business Model: Service, Not a Sale

Instead of sandicing the robots to farmers, TRIC keeps the machines on the farm’s payroll—vaguely like a robotic sanitation crew that shows up at midnight. According to the founder and CEO Adam Stager, the strategy was born from listening to farmers’ actual needs.

“We worked a lot with the farmers to understand the right way to launch the technology and what was the right business model,” Stager tells TechCrunch. “We found out that a lot of the farmers pay for pest disease control as a service, so they have a company come in and do the sprays. What we’ve been doing is just replacing that as a service model.”

Farming in the Future, One Robot at a Time

Getting to this point wasn’t a straight line. TRIC started in 2017 as a 3D‑printed robot venture for SWAT teams. By 2020, Stager pivoted—seeing an opportunity to bring cutting‑edge robotics to agriculture.

• Migrate from security bots to pesticide‑free machines
• Focus on “dirty dozen” crops like strawberries that need less chemical input
• Build a low‑maintenance robot ecosystem that farmers can trust in the quiet hours of the night

So, next time you bite into a strawberry and think you’re just eating fruit, remember there’s a tiny, UV‑lit robot somewhere swishing around, making sure your berry stays sweet and chemical‑free. Cheers to the future where robots and strawberries grow together—without the heavy hand of pesticides.

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Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.

From University Labs to the Farm Floor: How a Garage Built a Robot Revolution

Meet the Man Who Said “What if I died tomorrow?”

Dan Stager once asked himself, “If I were to pass away tomorrow, would I feel proud of what I accomplished?” That question sparked a mission: make a difference that’s felt by the most people possible. He ended up nudging his way into agriculture – the one place that touches everyone’s plates, literally.

The Secret Sauce: A USDA Connection

• Stager reached out to the USDA hoping to bring a lab‑grown tech into the real world.
• He got plugged into a USDA partnership that pairs researchers with farmers who’re looking for fresh solutions.
• That partnership sent him a piece of UV light tech, the foundation of TRIC Robotics’ smart farming bots.

Garage‑Grown Bots and a Rural Road Trip

Stager and co‑founder Vishnu Somasundaram had one quirky idea: float two robots built in a garage onto the roof of an SUV. That seemed odd, but it worked. The duo teamed up with farmers who offered a tiny plot in 2021. From there, they embarked on an eight‑month cross‑country, “Airbnb surfing” adventure deploying these robots and raking in data.

TRIC Robotics Today

• Now backed by a third co‑founder, Ryan Berard.
• They’re partnering with four major strawberry growers.
• So far, nine autonomous robots are rolling through fields, with three more on the way.

Funding Future Innovation

Version One Ventures led a $5.5 million seed round, joined by Garage Capital, Todd and Rahul Capital, and Lucas Venture Group. The money will expand the robot fleet, aiming to tackle crops beyond strawberries.

Stager’s Take on the Road Ahead

“I’m seeing a bright future for agriculture tech,” Stager says. “Just remember, we’re on a great path—exciting things are coming, and we’re all riding the wave together.”