Innovate UK’s Launchpad for Eastern England Success Story: Versatile RobotX

Labour-intensive, repetitive tasks remain a major challenge for agriculture, particularly in areas where precision and consistency are critical. Versatile RobotX is addressing that challenge by using robotics and AI to automate tasks within farm environments and help transform how food is produced. 

Through the Innovate UK’s Launchpad for Eastern England, the business focused on automating one of the most repetitive tasks in leafy green production: transplanting seedlings. The funding was the first the company had received and helped it move from early-stage development towards a more commercially viable product.  

Led by co-founders Dr Vishuu Mohan and Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier, the project has combined robotics, engineering and practical farm integration to develop technology that can work in real growing environments.  

Automating a precise and repetitive task 

Transplanting seedlings requires careful handling. Roots are living tissue, so the process needs both soft manipulation and precise placement. 

To address this, Versatile RobotX developed low-cost, 3D-printable actuators as part of a plug-and-play system where tools can be changed depending on the task. 

The team also developed a multi-gripper capable of handling several plants at once. According to the company, the system can carry out four times the work of a normal farmer and operate at twice the speed.  

Moving closer to a minimum viable product 

The Presto gripper developed through the Launchpad has become a key component in the company’s tabletop systems. The business says this has brought it significantly closer to its minimum viable product, with plans to launch that product later in the year. 

The technology is designed not only to support transplanting, but also to work across other tasks such as float handling, packaging and root cutting, helping create a more flexible approach to automation on the farm.  

Connecting technology with Lincolnshire growers 

A key part of the story is Versatile RobotX’s work with JEPCO in Lincolnshire, a business operating in leafy salads and hydroponics. 

This collaboration gives the technology a practical route into real farming environments and shows how cross-regional partnerships can help move new agri-tech solutions from development into use.  

The company is also adapting its technology to changing growing systems. Its work with GyroPlant, for example, is exploring substrate-free growing approaches that can work with the robotic grippers already developed.  

Supporting commercialisation and growth 

The Launchpad funding has also helped Versatile RobotX grow as a business. The company has expanded its team and employed two farm integration engineers. It is also raising investment to scale its supply chain, manufacturing and food-safety requirements as it prepares for the next stage of commercialisation.  

As the founders explain: 

“This funding has enabled us to move to the next stage of commercialisation.” 

For Versatile RobotX, the Launchpad has provided a crucial starting point: helping the business develop its technology, test it in practical environments, strengthen its team and move closer to market. 

The project reflects the wider ambition of the Eastern England Launchpad to support agri-tech businesses in turning innovative ideas into practical, scalable solutions with the potential to benefit growers across the region and beyond.