Spotta Secures £3 Million Growth Funding to Fight Pests Worldwide
Tech startup Spotta just landed a hefty £3 million infu‑sion from The Yield Lab, STIHL Ventures and ACF Investors. The money will turbo‑charge the company’s global rollout—especially its star product, the Bed Pod detector, which has taken the hotel industry by storm.
What Spotta Does (And Why You’ll Love It)
- Ultra‑low‑power sensors that listen to insects 24/7, thanks to AI and machine learning.
- Spot the problem before it becomes a nightmare—whether it’s in a hotel room, a farm field or an ancient forest.
- Bed Pods slip under mattresses unnoticed and ping hotels with real‑time alerts: room number, timestamp, and even a photo of the pesky intruder.
In 2018, founders Robert Fryers and Neil set out to change the way we think about pest control. “Infestations are found too late, after the damage is done,” he says, “Spotta changes this.”
Why This Funding Matters
Every year, insects cost the global economy a staggering $570 billion by spreading diseases, wrecking crops, and spoiling reputations. Spotta’s accurate, real‑time data lets growers, park rangers and hotel managers act before the chaos hits.
- Precision targeting cuts pesticide use, saving money and reducing environmental impact.
- Hospitality: after the pandemic hit black‑eye, the industry’s rebound and the uptick in bed‑bug cases gave Spotta a record year—protecting over 3 million room nights.
- Agriculture & forestry: 40 % of world crop output is lost to pests. Spotta’s sensors can pre‑empt these losses, giving farmers a fighting chance.
Investor Quotes
Tim Mills, Managing Partner, ACF Investors: “Spotta’s platform delivers a technology that can completely turn the insect pest control industry on its head. Smart 24/7 monitoring lets customers precision target treatment for the first time.”
Robert Fryers, CEO: “The timing of our investment round coincided with the recent Paris bed‑bug infestation, underscoring the need for safe, effective, and cost‑efficient preventive measures.”
Future Roadmap
The fresh capital will fuel expansion across:
- Hospitality—beyond just the Bed Pods, integrating with hotel tech ecosystems.
- Agriculture—the same AI sensors now help farmers spot pests before they devastate seedlings.
- Forestry and horticulture—stopping insect outbreaks in biodiverse ecosystems.
With early investors like Martlet, Wren Capital, Remus Capital and Cambridge Angels backing the company, Spotta is poised to make the world a little less infested and a lot smarter.
