FD20 Solar Field Robot by FarmDroid: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Expansion into conventional farming markets

FarmDroid founded by Jens and Kristian Warming2018Complete.
First commercial FD20 units deployed2019Complete.
100 units deployed across Europe2021Complete.
500 units milestone achievedJul 2024Complete.
EUR 10.5M Series A funding closedOct 2024Complete.
Expansion into conventional farming marketsTarget 2025Current milestone.

Most important updates

FarmDroid FD20 fleet achieves 2026 season records: 77.7 ha sown, 194.9 ha weeded per robotJun 2026
FarmDroid secures EUR 10.5M Series A funding to expand global deploymentOct 2024
FarmDroid celebrates 500 robots milestone across 23 countriesJul 2024

Upcoming

2025Expansion into conventional farming markets (next)
2026FD60 large-field variant production ramp
2026Spot-spraying technology market entry

Current obstacles

Weather-dependent operationRain and muddy conditions halt operation; robots cannot work at night or in poor visibility, limiting deployment windows.
Competing on labor costsIn regions with cheap hired labor for hand-weeding, the 2-3 year payback is less attractive than in high-wage countries.

Physics limits

Energy from solar panelsFD20 is battery-limited; overcast weather or large fields require either longer operation times or the optional fuel range extender on FD60.
Mechanical weeding limitsMechanical hoeing cannot distinguish crop seedlings from weeds at very early growth stages; timing of weeding passes is critical.

How it works

4 parts

Planning

GPS-mapped field boundaries

The operator defines field boundaries and rows using RTK GPS on a map. The robot downloads the mission before starting work.

Seeding

Precision placement

The robot follows GPS rows and automatically triggers seed disc rotation to place seeds at pre-programmed spacing (e.g., 15cm apart).

Weeding

Inter- and intra-row hoeing

Rotating hoe tines cultivate soil between rows and alongside planted rows, removing weeds and loosening soil without herbicides.

Spraying

Spot and band application (new)

Optional micro-spraying system targets pesticides to specific weeds or bands, reducing chemical use vs. broadcast spraying.

Spec sheet

Spec	FD20 Solar Field Robot
Units deployed globally	500+^R (reported)
Countries of operation	23^R (reported)
Maximum working width	3.5 m^R (reported)
Robot weight	1,250 kg^R (reported)
GPS positioning accuracy (RTK)	8 mm^R (reported)
Compatible crop varieties	100+^R (reported)
Daily coverage capacity	~5 hectares^R (reported)
Herbicide reduction potential	Up to 100%^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

3 updates

About FarmDroid

The team behind FD20 Solar Field Robot

FarmDroid

Autonomous field robot, solar weeding seeding, precision agriculture

FarmDroid develops small autonomous field robots powered by solar energy to seed, weed, and spray crops with high precision. The FD20 is the most widely deployed field robot in Europe.

FarmDroid operates the most widely deployed field robot in Europe: 500+ FD20s working across 23 countries.
The FD20 uses RTK GPS (8mm precision) to seed and mechanically weed over 100 crop varieties, powered by onboard solar panels.
The company secured EUR 10.5M in funding to expand into conventional open-field farming with new spot-spraying and larger FD60 variants.

farmdroid.com (opens farmdroid.com)Company profile →

Founded: 20188 yrs
Headquarters: Denmark
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Raised: $15M2 rounds
Last round: Series A · $12M2024
Works in: AgricultureCrop robots & drones
Coverage: 2 programs · 3 updateslatest 1 Jun 2026checked 11 Oct
Lead investors: Convent CapitalEIFONavus VenturesSyddansk InnovationEsben Østergaard
Investors: Convent Capital (opens convent.capital)EIFO (Export-Import Fund of Denmark) (opens eifo.dk)
People: Kristian Vest Warming (opens linkedin.com)Co-founder & CEO

Spec

FD20 Solar Field Robot

Units deployed globally

500+^R (reported)

Countries of operation

23^R (reported)

Maximum working width

3.5 m^R (reported)

Robot weight

1,250 kg^R (reported)

GPS positioning accuracy (RTK)

8 mm^R (reported)

Compatible crop varieties

100+^R (reported)

Daily coverage capacity

~5 hectares^R (reported)

Herbicide reduction potential

Up to 100%^R (reported)

FD20 Solar Field Robot

Milestones

Most important updates

Upcoming

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

GPS-mapped field boundaries

Precision placement

Inter- and intra-row hoeing

Spot and band application (new)

Spec sheet

Update log

Jun 2026

Oct 2024

Jul 2024

About FarmDroid

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

GPS-mapped field boundaries

Precision placement

Inter- and intra-row hoeing

Spot and band application (new)

Spec sheet

Update log

Jun 2026

Oct 2024

Jul 2024

About FarmDroid