New Zealand-based company Robotics Plus, a specialist in agricultural automation solutions, has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Yamaha Motor.
The Japanese automotive giant plans to use its acquisition to form the foundation of Yamaha Agriculture, a new company focused on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions that help growers in the specialty crop market become more sustainable, profitable and resilient in the face of scarcer resources and climate change.
Robotics Plus specializes in developing automation solutions for agriculture, combining expertise in robotics, automation, sensing, and data analytics.
With a proven track record of delivering innovative technologies to global markets, the company continues to push the boundaries of agricultural automation.
Its latest development, Prospr, is a robust, autonomous, multi-purpose hybrid vehicle designed to perform a range of orchard and vineyard tasks.
Built to tackle labor shortages and enhance efficiency, precision, sustainability, and safety, Prospr is capable of multiple activities including spraying and weed control, with additional attachments such as mowing in development.
Robotics Plus’ innovations also includes the Āporo Fruit Packer, which automates fruit packing, and a robotic log scaler to automate log measurement for trucks and trains.
Since 2017, Yamaha Motor, the parent company of newly launched US-based Yamaha Agriculture has supported Robotics Plus with strategic investment to drive development of agricultural automation technologies and to expand its presence in the agtech sector.
Following Robotics Plus’ acquisition, the company will continue to operate its core business at its headquarters in Tauranga, retaining high value skilled jobs and IP development in New Zealand, while benefiting from the support of Yamaha Agriculture, to grow globally.
Steve Saunders, co-founder and CEO of Robotics Plus, says: “Robotics Plus was founded on a vision to develop state-of-the-art robotic technology to solve some of the global agriculture industry’s biggest challenges, including labour, productivity and sustainability issues.
“This acquisition is a testament to the strong partnership we’ve built with Yamaha over the years, driven by a shared vision and commitment to empowering large-scale growers.
“Innovations like Prospr are at the heart of Yamaha Agriculture’s global strategy, enabling a data-driven approach to precision agriculture.
“With Yamaha’s support, we are poised to accelerate our robotics innovations, significantly scale our hardware manufacturing, and expand further into key markets such as the US, and beyond.”
Dr Alistair Scarfe, co-founder and chief engineering officer at Robotics Plus, says: “To drive meaningful change in agriculture, you need to think big and tackle globally scalable challenges.
“That mindset has allowed Robotics Plus to build a world-class team of specialists across agriculture, technology, and engineering – delivering best-in-class robotic solutions that are now deployed worldwide.
“Over the years, we’ve greatly benefited from Yamaha Motor’s deep industry expertise, and we’re excited to take our innovations even further with Yamaha Agriculture with a continued focus on quality, reliability, and safety.”
Nolan Paul, group CEO, Yamaha Agriculture, says: “Guided by our mission to ensure growers are sustainable, profitable, and resilient, Yamaha Agriculture recognizes that the challenges facing specialty crop growers require thoughtful solutions that will take time to develop.
“We believe meaningful innovation in agriculture emerges through close collaboration with growers and industry partners. The capabilities of Robotics Plus in robotics and automation will be an important building block in addressing these challenges along with AI-powered data analytics.
“We are committed to a deliberate approach that prioritizes creating real value for growers while maintaining the high standards of quality and reliability for which Yamaha Motors is known.”
Robotics Plus’ autonomous hybrid vehicle Prospr, capable of multiple activities including spraying, weed control, with further attachments coming such as mowing – addresses key labor challenges faced by growers.
Another recent Yamaha Agriculture acquisition, The Yield, brings advanced data analytics and AI-powered models to deliver yield predictions and optimize on and off-farm operations.
Yamaha Agriculture will combine Robotics Plus’ robotic solution Prospr with advanced data analytics to support producers of wine grapes, apples, and other specialty crops across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Leveraging Yamaha’s long heritage as a trusted manufacturer of high-performance products, the new agriculture business will integrate the complementary technologies to create a comprehensive platform that enables precision farming for growers.
By combining autonomous equipment with intelligent data insights, Yamaha Agriculture helps growers reduce input costs, optimize resource utilization and improve overall farm productivity and sustainability.
From the outset, founders Steve Saunders and Dr Alistair Scarfe built Robotics Plus with a global vision. The company has rapidly grown into a team of 130, with its robotic innovations deployed in markets worldwide.
Saunders says: “Scale is the key to making technology more accessible and affordable for growers in New Zealand and beyond, so we were global from day one. Partnering early on with a global corporate that shared our vision allowed us to accelerate our expansion.
“The Robotics Plus team has shown it’s possible to build a world-leading agritech business from New Zealand – that can successfully scale on a global level.
“We’d like to thank all who have helped us on our journey to date – our dedicated and talented team, and an ecosystem of partners, suppliers, and collaborators.
“We’re also grateful for the support of New Zealand Government entities, including ACC – an early investor – as well as NZTE, Callaghan Innovation, MPI, and MBIE, all of whom played a role in our early growth. We’re looking forward to the next chapter in our growth story.”
