Our Mission

Eliminating Hard Labour
in Agriculture

Forager Automation was founded to solve one of Australian agriculture's most pressing challenges: the harvest labour crisis. We're building technology that makes berry farming profitable, sustainable, and independent of seasonal labour shortages.

The Challenge

Why We Started Forager

Australian berry growers face a perfect storm: rising labour costs, shrinking worker availability, and fruit that rots before it can be picked. The problem isn't getting better. It's getting worse.

Traditional automation solutions don't work for delicate berries. Robots that can pick fruit without damaging it are still years away from commercial viability. We'd know, we're working on that too. But there's another way.

Instead of replacing human pickers, we're augmenting them, removing the waste, the walking, and the double handling that makes harvest work so inefficient. The Forager platform lets your best workers do what they do best: pick quality fruit.

The Numbers

57%

Of farms struggled to find harvest workers

ABARES Horticulture Survey, 2021-22

$25M+

Lost to unpicked fruit each season

Raspberry and blackberry industry (ABARES, Hort Innovation)

0%

Productivity growth in decades

Berry picking hasn't improved since the 1980s

The Team

Real Innovation, Backed by Experience

Forager Automation started with a simple idea: ask growers what they actually need, then build it.

Matt Lakis, Founder and CEO

Matt Lakis

Founder and CEO

Mechatronics engineer with 8+ years in defence AI and autonomous systems. Former Athena AI R&D product lead. Matt built Forager's software in house and leads hardware integration, supplier coordination and the commercial field program.

Growers

Advisory network. Experienced berry growers keep product decisions grounded in real harvest pain and practical field requirements.

Specialists

Specialist execution. Fabrication, refrigeration, electrical and R&D contractors add specialist depth around the founder.

Our Journey

From Concept to Commercial Pilot

Forager Automation has moved quickly from idea to field trials. Here's how we got here.

2024

Concept & Initial Prototype

The Forager concept was born from conversations with berry growers struggling with labour shortages. Early prototypes were built and tested in small-scale trials to validate the core approach: autonomous navigation + in-field refrigeration + ergonomic design.

2025

First Field Trials

The first full-scale Forager platform entered field trials with partner growers. Early results showed significant productivity improvements: pickers were spending more time picking and less time walking and sorting. The feedback shaped the next iteration of the platform.

2026
Current

Commercial Pilot Program

Forager is now offering trials with Australian berry growers and labour hire providers. Arrange a trial, then we will discuss a pricing model that works for your operation and guarantees increased profit from day one.

2027

Full Commercial Launch

Planned: Full-scale commercial availability across Australia. Expanded platform options for different crop types. Service network established. Forager becomes the standard for efficient berry harvesting.

Join Us in Transforming Harvest

Whether you're a grower looking to solve your labour challenges or an investor interested in agtech, we'd love to talk.

Get in Touch Estimate Your Opportunity