Why This Matters
Puerto Rico's coffee industry is in crisis. We're building technology that protects workers, revitalizes an industry, and strengthens communities.
Worker Safety
Coffee in Puerto Rico grows on slopes of 30-45 degrees. Harvesters work these steep hillsides daily, where falls account for 29% of agricultural lost-time injuries[4] and worker fatality rates run 7x the national average.[3]
Our robot takes on the most dangerous task — navigating and harvesting on steep terrain — so workers don't have to. This isn't about replacing people. It's about removing them from harm's way.
Addressing the Labor Crisis
Puerto Rico's coffee production has declined 93% from its historical peak.[2] Today, an estimated 75% of ripe coffee goes unharvested each year — not because of lack of demand, but because there aren't enough workers willing to pick on dangerous, steep terrain.[1]
Autonomous harvesting fills the gap that manual labor cannot, enabling farms to actually harvest the coffee they grow.
Economic Revitalization
Puerto Rico's specialty coffee commands premium prices but the industry can't scale without solving the harvesting bottleneck. Our Robot-as-a-Service model makes automation accessible to smallholder farms and cooperatives — reducing the capital barrier to advanced technology.
By enabling farms to harvest more of their crop, we directly increase revenue for rural communities hit hardest by the industry's decline.
Workforce Development
We're committed to building local technical capacity. Our work creates new roles — robot operators, maintenance technicians, data analysts — and we're pursuing partnerships with universities in Puerto Rico to build research and training pipelines for students in robotics, AI, and agricultural engineering.
Automation doesn't eliminate agricultural jobs — it transforms them into safer, higher-skilled, better-paying ones.
Building Resilience
Hurricanes Maria and Irma destroyed 80-85% of Puerto Rico's coffee harvest.[5] The industry is still recovering. Faster, more efficient harvesting technology helps farms recover yields more quickly after climate events — and the crop health monitoring capabilities of our AI provide early warning of disease and stress that can compound storm damage.
Join the Mission
Whether you're an investor, researcher, or farmer — there's a role for you in transforming agriculture.
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