A Robotics Plus Prospr spraying an apple orchard. The multi-use autonomous vehicle sells for US$245,000 to US$300,000 depending on configurations and tree crop.
A Robotics Plus Prospr spraying an apple orchard. The multi-use autonomous vehicle sells for US$245,000 to US$300,000 depending on configurations and tree crop.
Japanese giant Yamaha Motor has bought Robotics Plus, the Tauranga maker of AI-powered robot vehicles for orchard jobs such as picking, spraying and pruning.
Terms were not disclosed and the privately held firm, founded by Steve Saunders and Dr Alistair Scarfe, has kept its financials tight.
A RoboticsPlus spokeswoman said it has 130 staff. All will stay, including Saunders and Scarfe, “and they’ll continue to grow the team”.
She said the price “is within the NZ/Japan financial threshold for Overseas Investment Office approval”, implying it was below the OIO’s $200 million threshold for deals between the two countries.
That’s a key point following the collapse of two local small vehicle makers in recent months: Tauranga-based electric motorbike maker Ubco and aquabike maker Manta5.
The company’s flagship, the Prospr multi-use autonomous vehicle launched in 2023, sells for US$245,000 to US$300,000 ($427,000-$523,000) depending on configurations and tree crop, with Robotics Plus recommending customers buy a minimum of two. Up to four can be controlled by one person on a phone or tablet, connecting to the vehicles over cellular or Wi-Fi.
ACC (no longer on the share register) was an early backer from a fund that made investments of $2m to $15m. In 2018, Yamaha Motor spent US$8m (then $12m) to buy a 15% stake in Robotics Plus, implying a private equity valuation of just under $100m.
Robotics Plus co-founders and majority owners Dr Alistair Scarfe (left; chief technology officer) and Steven Saunders (chief executive).
The Japanese firm remained the only outside investor, according to the latest Companies Office update for Robotics Plus (dated April 2), with the founders holding the balance.
The Technology Investment Network’s annual TIN200 list of New Zealand’s largest tech exporters estimated Robotics Plus’ 2024 revenue at $13.5m.
The Robotics Plus story began when Scarfe, an engineer with a PhD in industrial automation from Massey, established a partnership with Saunders, who was then managing director of Plus Group Horticulture and a 10-year Rockit Global veteran.
The Prospr spraying a vineyard. One person can remotely control several of the robot vehicles at once via an app.
At the time of Yamaha’s initial investment in 2018, Saunders said his firm had 28 staff. “We are revenue earning, but we are an early-stage growth company heavily investing in R&D, so our burn rate is slightly higher than revenue”.
Horticultural robotics has been billed as a way to address labour shortages, but Robotics Plus vehicles are also packed with sensors to aid “precision agriculture”. An app can help plan and track multiple vehicles’ progress.
The Prospr, controlled via an app, detects its surroundings and avoids obstacles via camera and the same lidar (light detection and ranging) laser pulse technology used by many electric cars.
Saunders, who has been in horticulture for more than 35 years, said he foresaw labour problems arising in horticulture 10 years ago, particularly in the speciality crops.
The CEO said Prospr included automated intelligent spraying.
This allows growers to deploy a range of spray configurations, with tower sprayers for grapes, apples, or tree crops already available.
The Prospr has a modular design for attaching different tools or implements. A hybrid design sees electric motors supplemented by a diesel generator.
Spray rates and air speed are dynamic and controlled in zones or by individual fans to maximise spray efficacy and enable a more targeted application than traditional sprayers.
Robotics Plus’ line-up also includes the Aporo Fruit Packer, which automates fruit packing, and a robotic scaler that accurately measures the volume of timber for logging trucks or trains.
The Āporo II. Robotics Plus partnered with Global Pac to commercialise the robot fruit packer.
The VC industry and founders say it’s made the local scene stronger as profits from the sales have been fed back into the local ecosystem to fund a new wave of start-ups. Buyers have often expanded New Zealand workforces and helped the companies expand globally.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
