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Founding Philly
Dive into the stories behind Philly’s most exciting startups. Founding Philly connects with those who are fueling the innovation in Philly’s startup scene. Hear their journeys – on the Founding Philly podcast.
Founding Philly
Burro, CEO & Co-Founder Charlie Andersen | Founding Philly Ep. 41
Presented by Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs.
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In this episode, I interview Charlie Andersen, CEO and Co-Founder of Burro, a company that develops autonomous robots to work side-by-side with farm workers, enhancing the productivity and sustainability of agriculture.
Charlie has always been the 'machine guy,' having grown up on a family-owned fruit and vegetable farm that also operated a construction company.
He constantly explored ways to enhance productivity with machinery and technology, recognizing the untapped potential for autonomy in agriculture.
Motivated by this potential, Charlie founded Burro in 2017 to address labor issues faced by farmers with robots that collaborate seamlessly with farm workers.
Today, hundreds of these robots are deployed worldwide in nurseries, vineyards, berry farms, and even in construction settings, helping to move cargo and relieve farm workers of strenuous tasks, allowing them to focus on their most valuable work.
These autonomous robots significantly improve the productivity of farm workers both indoors and outdoors.
For instance, an eight-person harvest crew using just one Burro can harvest 15% to 30% more fruit daily. Additionally, a single Burro can replace a tractor and its operator, which is particularly useful for towing trailers in nurseries.
Charlie emphasized the importance of automation, saying, "Labor frequently accounts for half of revenue. Just imagine that, half of revenue is going to labor costs. If you're growing something, you can't just move from California to Mexico seamlessly to find lower labor costs; if you're in one area, you have to find ways to adopt automation."
Earlier this year, Burro announced that it had raised a $24M Series B from Catalyst Investors, Translink Capital, and others.
In this podcast episode, Charlie shares his journey of building Burro, discusses the impact of autonomous vehicles in agriculture, and outlines his vision for the future of farming with robotics.
