Upside Robotics
Upside Robotics builds autonomous solar-powered ground robots (Maize Runner) that deliver plant-level fertilizer to corn fields, sold via a per-acre robotics-as-a-service model. It serves corn growers primarily in Ontario with planned US corn belt expansion.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Upside Robotics does
Upside Robotics is an early-stage agricultural robotics company founded in February 2024 in Waterloo, Ontario, that builds autonomous, solar-powered ground robots — branded as the Maize Runner — for precision, in-season fertilizer application in corn fields. The robots are 22 inches wide to fit between standard 30-inch corn rows, weigh approximately 150 pounds, carry a 50L tank, and operate continuously via 10-hour battery life with 60-minute recharges and an autonomous refill and self-charging system. Onboard sensors combined with proprietary AI algorithms fuse satellite imagery, yield maps, SWAT maps, and real-time ground-level soil, weather, and crop-stage data to deliver fertilizer at the individual plant level, with claimed reductions in nitrogen use of up to 70% and per-acre savings of approximately $150 without sacrificing yield.
The company sells under a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model billed on a per-acre basis, removing the upfront hardware purchase barrier for farmers. It also offers the Upside Dashboard as a complementary remote farm management platform. Upside has iterated through five robot generations since February 2024, deployed 20 Maize Runner units across Ontario in 2025, expanded from 70 acres served in 2024 to 1,200 acres in 2025, and is targeting 3,000+ acres in 2026 with US corn belt expansion into Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. The team is approximately 12 people, led by co-founders Jana (CEO) and Sam (CTO), with a founding agronomist and engineering staff, and the company has raised $7.5 million in seed funding led by Plural with participation from Garage Capital and the founders of Clearpath Robotics.
Upside Robotics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upside Robotics
- Legal name
- Upside Robotics
- Website
- https://upsiderobotics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Upside Robotics builds autonomous solar-powered ground robots (Maize Runner) that deliver plant-level fertilizer to corn fields, sold via a per-acre robotics-as-a-service model. It serves corn growers primarily in Ontario with planned US corn belt expansion.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Upside Robotics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Agriculture Robotics
- NAICS
- Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autonomous Spraying & Crop-Care Robots (Targeted application, spot spraying) (AFAAAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Robotics & Autonomous Field Operations (Weeding, Spraying, Harvest Assist, Autonomous Tractors) (AFAGALAJ), Autonomous/Robotic Crop Protection Applicators (UGVs, Smart Sprayers) (AFAAADAJ), Agricultural & Field Robotics (HDAAAIAD), Agricultural UAV/UGV Autonomy Platforms (Navigation, mission planning, fleet autonomy) (AFAAAGAF)
Keywords
Where Upside Robotics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Upside Robotics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) — Per-Acre Pricing: The company operates on a robotics-as-a-service model, charging farmers on a per-acre basis for autonomous fertilizer application. Farmers pay for the service without purchasing the hardware outright. This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
- Pre-Order / Reservation Deposit: Customers place a $100 USD refundable deposit to secure priority access for the 2027 Maize Runner launch. This is a reservation system, not a final purchase, and pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change before manufacturing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) — per-acre subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Upside Robotics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Upside Robotics builds and operates the Maize Runner, an autonomous solar-powered ground robot that delivers precise fertilizer doses at the individual plant level in corn fields, reducing fertilizer use by up to 70% while maintaining yields. The robots are delivered via a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model billed per acre, supported by the Upside Dashboard for remote monitoring and field management. Primary customers are corn growers — from family-run farms to large operations of 2,000+ acres — in Ontario and the US Midwest.
Product overview
Upside Robotics offers a unified precision agriculture platform centered on the Maize Runner autonomous robot. The Maize Runner is a solar-powered ground robot that delivers fertilizer at the individual plant level in corn fields. The company operates on a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model, providing the robot hardware and software capabilities on a per-acre subscription basis. The Upside Dashboard is offered as a complementary tool for remote farm management and field monitoring. The platform combines autonomous robotics with AI-driven nutrient application to reduce fertilizer waste while maintaining crop yields.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Maize Runner: The company's autonomous solar-powered robot designed for precision fertilizer application in corn fields. Features include 22-inch width to fit between 30-inch corn rows, 50L/13 gal tank with autonomous refill, 10-hour battery life, and real-time crop intelligence sensors.
Products and services
- Maize Runner Autonomous, solar-powered, lightweight (150 lb) ground robot that delivers precise fertilizer doses at the individual plant level in corn fields, with 22-inch width to fit 30-inch corn rows, 50L/13 gal autonomous-refill tank, 10-hour battery with 60-minute recharge, real-time crop intelligence via onboard sensors, and 24/7 self-managed operation. Designed for corn farmers and delivered primarily through the robotics-as-a-service model.
- Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) Subscription-based service offering in which corn farmers access Upside Robotics' autonomous Maize Runner robots and precision fertilizer application on a per-acre basis, with no upfront hardware purchase required. Includes remote management capabilities and is designed to deliver ROI in less than one year through reduced fertilizer use and per-acre cost savings.
- Upside Dashboard
Companies that use Upside Robotics
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Upside Robotics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Upside Robotics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ontario Corn Farmers (20 deployments)coreUpside Robotics deployed 20 autonomous Maize Runner robots across Ontario farms in 2025 for nitrogen micro-dosing. This represents the core operational deployment of the technology in real farm environments.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Upside Robotics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- John Deere (See & Spray): John Deere is the largest agricultural equipment manufacturer globally and offers See & Spray technology for precision herbicide and fertilizer application. While Deere targets broad-acre spraying at scale via boom-mounted systems on large tractors, both companies compete on the precision-application thesis that targets input reduction in row crops.
- CNH Industrial (Raven Industries): CNH Industrial owns Raven Industries, which develops precision agriculture technology including autonomous and assisted spraying systems. As a broad incumbent, CNH offers the capital, dealer network, and integrated machinery platform that Upside would have to compete with as it scales.
- AGCO (PTx Trimble): AGCO, through its PTx Trimble joint venture and legacy brands (Fendt, Massey Ferguson), is integrating precision spraying and autonomous capabilities into its equipment lineup. It is a broad incumbent shaping the competitive landscape for precision-ag robotics.
Direct peers
- Carbon Robotics: Carbon Robotics builds the LaserWeeder, an autonomous agricultural robot that uses computer vision and lasers to kill weeds in row crops. It is one of the closest direct peers in the autonomous ag-robotics category, targeting similar large-acreage row-crop customers with a hardware-plus-service model.
- Aigen: Aigen develops solar-powered autonomous agricultural robots for weeding and crop monitoring, with a similar RaaS / per-acre model. It directly overlaps with Upside's value proposition of lightweight, solar-powered ground robots serving row-crop farmers.
- FarmWise: FarmWise builds AI-driven agricultural robots that perform weeding and other in-field tasks for vegetable and row-crop growers. It targets similar precision-input-reduction outcomes through autonomous ground robotics, although its historical focus has been weeding rather than fertilizer application.
- Naio Technologies: Naio Technologies is a French agricultural robotics company building autonomous weeding robots for specialty and row crops. It is a peer in the small-autonomous-field-robot category with a comparable go-to-market of selling / servicing farmers directly.
- Small Robot Company: Small Robot Company is a UK-based agtech startup developing autonomous field robots (Tom, Dick, Harry) for precision weeding, spraying, and planting. It is directly comparable in its robotics-as-a-service business model and crop-care use case.
- Verdant Robotics: Verdant Robotics offers an autonomous agricultural robot for precision weeding and crop care, using AI and computer vision. It targets similar row-crop customers and overlaps on the thesis that autonomous robots can replace broadcast spraying with plant-level input application.
- Ecorobotix: Ecorobotix is a Swiss company building autonomous, solar-powered weeding robots (ARA) for row crops. Its ARA product and plant-level treatment approach directly parallel Upside Robotics' lightweight, autonomous, plant-targeted application model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Upside Robotics social profiles
Digital presenceUpside Robotics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upside Robotics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Upside Robotics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upside Robotics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Upside Robotics
What does Upside Robotics do?
Upside Robotics builds and operates the Maize Runner, an autonomous solar-powered ground robot that delivers precise fertilizer doses at the individual plant level in corn fields, reducing fertilizer use by up to 70% while maintaining yields. The robots are delivered via a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model billed per acre, supported by the Upside Dashboard for remote monitoring and field management. Primary customers are corn growers — from family-run farms to large operations of 2,000+ acres — in Ontario and the US Midwest.
Is Upside Robotics a public or private company?
Upside Robotics is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Upside Robotics founded?
Upside Robotics was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Upside Robotics based?
Upside Robotics is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Upside Robotics make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) — Per-Acre Pricing is the primary driver. The others are pre-Order / Reservation Deposit.
Who are Upside Robotics's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are John Deere (See & Spray), CNH Industrial (Raven Industries) and AGCO (PTx Trimble). Direct peers are Carbon Robotics, Aigen, FarmWise, Naio Technologies, Small Robot Company, Verdant Robotics and Ecorobotix.
Does Upside Robotics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Upside Robotics.
What industry is Upside Robotics in?
Upside Robotics's product category is Precision Agriculture Robotics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAGAE, Autonomous Spraying & Crop-Care Robots (Targeted application, spot spraying), with a secondary code of AFAGALAJ, Robotics & Autonomous Field Operations (Weeding, Spraying, Harvest Assist, Autonomous Tractors). Its NAICS code is 333111 and its SIC code is 700.