Harvest robot for snack tomatoes reaches commercial stage

NETHERLANDS – The snack tomato harvesting robot developed by inaho has reached commercial readiness after three successful seasons of testing with Dutch grower Kwekerij Duijvestijn.

The milestone marks a major step toward reducing labor costs and improving greenhouse efficiency.

Two next-generation robots operated at Duijvestijn’s greenhouse during a one-month evaluation period conducted jointly with the inaho team. Since August, the robots have been running independently under the grower’s control and will continue in daily use until the end of the season.

Thanks to inaho’s Robot as a Service (RaaS) model, growers can use the technology without upfront costs. “The running cost is comparable to that of manual labor, making it a practical and scalable solution,” says Managing Director Yu Mizuki of inaho.

“It offers a low-barrier, high-impact approach to automating snack tomato harvesting in high-tech greenhouses.”

Field performance improved significantly during trials. The harvesting rate increased from around 15 percent to over 45 percent, a threefold improvement.

Speed nearly doubled, reaching 20 kilograms per hour. Four robots can now cover roughly one hectare. Reliability also stood out, according to Mizuki. “The robots ran smoothly with no major failures and are currently in daily use by the grower,” he says.

Grower Nick from Kwekerij Duijvestijn confirmed that the system fits seamlessly into production routines. “This season, our on-site team operated two of inaho’s robots directly. The system was very intuitive and easy to use, which gave us a clear sense of how it could fit into our actual production workflow,” he says.

“It’s clear that the technology has made solid progress, and productization is getting close. We also appreciate the RaaS model, which allows us to adopt the technology without large upfront investment, unlike many other high-cost robot solutions on the market.”

Limited trial opportunity for 2026

inaho is now opening a small-scale pre-commercial program for 2026, offering only five field trial slots to snack tomato growers. Participation will be based on operational readiness, and early applicants will receive priority.

“As of now, discussions have already started with a few growers with whom we have strong existing relationships. The remaining slots are limited, and early action is highly recommended,” says Mizuki. Early partners will gain benefits such as preferential pricing and priority access to robots for both the 2026 trials and later commercial rollout.

They will also help shape final product features and ensure greenhouse operations are well aligned with the technology.

The company confirmed that robot availability will remain limited during the pre-commercial phase. Interested growers are encouraged to apply early, as priority will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

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