Thorvald Closes Landmark Season
Saga Robotics, the company behind the Thorvald autonomous platform, has completed its largest season to date in the United States and the United Kingdom. With expanding coverage, improved reliability, and a growing portfolio of commercial services, Saga Robotics is reinforcing its position as one of the few agri-robotics companies delivering consistent, scaled results year after year.
In California, Thorvald robots treated almost 1,300 acres of vineyards. In the UK, they covered 20 percent of the tabletop strawberry market during the 2025 season. Across both regions, more than 150 robots operated at 97 percent uptime, logging around 200,000 autonomous kilometers, the equivalent of circling the Earth five times. That’s more than triple the distance from the previous season.
But this isn’t just a story of reliable hardware. Behind the numbers is a system designed to manage biology with the same precision it brings to motion.
“What we do isn’t easy,” said Professor Pål Johan From, Founder of Saga Robotics and General Manager US. “The UV-C light we use doesn’t just kill powdery mildew. It disrupts fungal DNA at the molecular level. Precision is everything. Too little, and the fungal disease will recover, which could lead to an outbreak. Too much applied incorrectly, and you risk reducing plant performance. This season alone, our robots completed over 80,000 operational hours. After years of research and large-scale deployment, we’ve mastered both timing and dosage. Every pass is calculated. Every dose is optimized. And it is all built on science, backed by decades of trials and commercial operations.”
Scaling with growers, not just area
Following a strong season in both the US and UK, all existing customers will continue, and in many cases expand, treatment areas into next season. In California, Saga Robotics is tripling its vineyard coverage and introducing a new vineyard-specific Thorvald robot, engineered for the demands of American viticulture. This next-generation model features upgraded suspension, larger wheels, and automatic tilt compensation, enabling better performance in steep or uneven terrain. More importantly, it is built for improved coverage, giving their customers even better protection against powdery mildew.
Saga Robotics is also launching a new data service designed to change how vineyards plan their harvest. As Thorvald moves down each row, it now detects and counts grape clusters automatically, replacing manual scouting with real-time crop load insights and giving managers earlier and more accurate information.
The same data platform has already been launched in UK strawberry production. In partnership with Chambers Farm and Bitwise. Each Thorvald robot counted over three million fruits and flowers per night, delivering detailed, row-level insights at scale. Saga Robotics are in discussion with a number of UK customers to significantly increase the area over which they provide data services for the 2026 season.
“I am actually now surprised how quickly our business is adopting this technology; it isn’t as difficult as I expected. The results are enabling us to scale faster. In my opinion, if you grow strawberries on table top you must have this technology.” says Salih Hodzhov COO, WB Chambers Farms
The data layer is now strengthening Saga Robotics’ autonomous integrated pest management services, building on its proven foundation in UV-C treatment.
Operational improvements and market expansion in the UK
Saga Robotics also completed its largest UV-C season in the UK, backed by a series of operational upgrades. Thorvald robots now travel in autonomous convoys, navigate more safely with enhanced object detection, and are monitored in real time through a 24/7 operations centre. Growers benefit from live dashboards and dedicated support teams, ensuring stable and efficient performance from the start.
Next season, Saga Robotics is aiming for 30 percent market coverage in the UK tabletop strawberry sector. Growth will continue with existing customers in the regions already being treated, reflecting a deliberate and focused approach.
Scaling responsibly
Saga Robotics is scaling responsibly, maintaining a clear focus on service quality and strong unit economics over aggressive land expansion. With over five years of commercial operations, Saga Robotics is one of the few agricultural robotics companies with a proven track record. Each season brings higher uptime, stronger service, and better performance.
“We’re focused on delivering reliable, repeatable results across commercial farming,” said Sacha de La Noë, CEO of Saga Robotics. “Our technology is performing under pressure, season after season, and we’re positioning the company for long-term success by scaling responsibly and improving our unit economics. At the same time, the environmental impact is already clear and this season’s results show the difference Thorvald is making.”
This season alone, Saga Robotics eliminated 133 tonnes of fungicides, avoided 4,450 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and removed 85,200 hours of worker exposure to chemicals.
With preparations for the next season already underway, Saga Robotics is continuing to build toward a more autonomous, efficient and sustainable future for farming.
