About

Upside Robotics is an Agri-Tech startup dedicated to promoting sustainable agricultural practices through AI and autonomous robotics. Their flagship product, “The Maize Runner”, is an AI-powered autonomous robot engineered for precision crop management. Designed to reside in the field, this robot optimally delivers agri-inputs with precision that reduces waste by 50-75%, saving farmers’ costs while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

The Maize Runner is equipped with multiple sensors and gathers real-time data on soil conditions, crop health, and weather, enabling proactive and targeted treatments. This includes detecting nutrient deficiencies and plant diseases early, which helps improve yield, reduce plant stress, and protect soil health. With the capacity to cover up to 100 acres weekly, our Maize Runner robot meets the needs of both small family farms and large commercial operations across Canada that are seeking environmentally sustainable practices without sacrificing productivity.

Project

This project aims to advance the Maize Runner to be commercially ready by increasing its efficiency and precision through iterative testing in controlled environments. The project also focuses on scaling up manufacturing and establishing strategic partnerships to bring the technology to market. Upside Robotics will use the Vineland TDS and support from the Development and Commercialization Program to facilitate essential soil compaction testing through its specialized soil compaction lab, assessing the impact of heavy machinery, such as tractors, compared to the lighter weight of our autonomous robots. These tests will generate critical data on Upsides robots ability to reduce soil compaction, thereby improving soil health and promoting sustainable farming practices.

Impact & Outcomes

A successful project supported by the Development and Commercialization Program will provide Upside Robotics key insight into the refinements needed to fully-commercialize Maze Runner.   This commercialization of the robot is expected to generate up to 10 new full-time positions and generate $1.5 million in ARR by 2026 as well as benefitting Ontario farmers with reduced costs of inputs for production.  Upside Robotics also anticipates up to $10 million in additional investment in the next two years.