Reservoir Farms Washington is slated to open in spring 2027 in the Yakima Valley, marking the agricultural robotics firm’s latest on-farm hub for physical AI and its expansion into tree fruit and blueberries as membership surpasses 30 startups.
The new site follows locations in Salinas and Sonoma, California, and Yuma, Arizona. Partners for the Washington buildout include the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, the North American Blueberry Council, and the Tri-City Development Council, which is providing financial support. The initiative comes on the heels of commitments from John Deere, which pledged $10 million over three years, and Western Growers, which announced a $1.5 million, three-year partnership earlier this year. Reservoir is also in talks with Washington State University’s Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center regarding a potential collaboration.
Companies joining the Washington hub include Bonsai Robotics, Sky Sense, Cordon, and Rootline Robotics, according to Reservoir. The company says its mission is to accelerate rugged physical AI through a mix of venture investment and hands-on operational support.
Building ‘bots with growers involved from day one
As at Reservoir’s farms in Salinas, Sonoma, and Yuma, Reservoir Farms Washington will embed startups on working fields with researchers and growers to design, test, and iterate equipment. Initial projects will center on apples, pears, cherries, and cultivated blueberries, with additional trials in wine grapes and hops. Over time, the site aims to extend into row crop systems.
Reservoir notes that blueberries pose multiple challenges, including labor-intensive harvesting that risks fruit damage and persistent pest and disease pressures. In Washington’s apple sector, labor accounts for 50% to 57% of orchard variable costs. Ines Hanrahan, executive director of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, said growers will only adopt technology proven locally.
A machine that hasn’t been through a Washington growing season isn’t ready for one,” she said, adding that building in-state with growers engaged from the outset helps ensure the industry is prepared for robotics and that the machines meet industry needs.
Novel components
Despite recent setbacks that have cooled some investors, advances in perception systems, edge computing, AI, and robotics, along with a growing catalog of off-the-shelf parts and software, are enabling faster development cycles, said Reservoir founder Danny Bernstein. He said systems are now being assembled, prototyped, and tested in under six months on lean budgets, and fewer companies are attempting to build the full technology stack.
Bernstein said Reservoir is prioritizing highly differentiated components over full-stack solutions, leaving integration to others. For example, Rootline Robotics, which targets weeds using electrical discharge, could partner with existing autonomous platforms. He cited Saga Robotics, a UV-C specialist with hundreds of deployed robots, as the type of platform that could add electrocution capabilities alongside UV treatment. Rootline is in prototyping in Sonoma County and recently received pre-seed investment from Reservoir. Bernstein said the approach offers promising scale and cost dynamics, with potential applications beyond agriculture in land management, turf, and golf courses.
Commenting on progress in autonomous harvesting and new manipulation systems such as the flexible arms developed by Picker AgRobotics, Bernstein said the sector is entering a multiyear innovation cycle in robotic manipulation. He added that leading AI and semiconductor companies share that view, which Reservoir is closely monitoring.
Reservoir already profitable
Reservoir soft-launched in Salinas in 2025 and is seeing rapid growth, Bernstein said. He reported the company is profitable this year and is on track to exceed $5 million in annual recurring revenue in 2026, with potential upside tied to several major opportunities. Pricing ranges from a free associate tier for insured startups seeking farm access to a $6,000-per-month plan that offers 24/7 workspace, field access, storage for large machines, and use of a precision shop. Bernstein said the model continues to evolve as the company learns from members.
Reservoir VC: investing in rugged AI
Reservoir’s venture arm invests across agricultural robotics and the rugged physical AI stack, including safety autonomy, navigation, and other components that may appeal to a wide set of acquirers in Silicon Valley, Bernstein said. He described Reservoir as a diversification play for limited partners interested in physical AI, positioned at the intersection of agriculture and robotics.
Reservoir Farms Washington: next phase in field-ready robotics
With its Yakima Valley hub, Reservoir aims to accelerate development of hardware and software that can withstand real-world agricultural conditions. The company says placing teams on commercial farms, pairing them with local growers, and focusing on modular components can shorten development timelines and improve reliability. Work in apples, pears, cherries, and blueberries will anchor the site, with research branching into grapes, hops, and eventually row crops as the program scales.