What Robotics Plus does

Robotics Plus is a New Zealand-based agricultural automation company founded in 2008 by Steve Saunders and Dr. Alistair Scarfe, headquartered in Tauranga with approximately 130 employees. The company designs and builds robotic systems for three primary customer segments: specialty crop growers (wine grapes, apples, tree crops), port and log operations, and fruit packhouses. Its three flagship products are the Mobile Log Scaler — the world's first robotic log scaling machine using Lidar, cameras, and neural networks to measure logs on trucks at up to 20 trucks per hour; the Prospr Unmanned Ground Vehicle — a modular autonomous hybrid platform for spraying, weed control, and mowing in orchards and vineyards; and the Āporo Fruit Packer — a neural-network-driven automated packing system handling 100+ fruit per minute with configurable orientation.

The company operates a primarily hardware sales model with enterprise direct sales targeting large-scale specialty crop growers, supplemented by strategic channel partnerships. Distribution leverages the Yamaha Agriculture partnership for global market reach across North America, Australia, and New Zealand, alongside regional partners Burrows, Croplands, Qube, and ISO Limited. Pricing is quote-based with no public disclosure. A secondary data analytics and AI subscription stream is delivered through integration with The Yield Technology Solutions' yield prediction models, and all deployed units feature continuous monitoring and AI learning capabilities.

Following Yamaha Motor's strategic investment beginning in 2017 (approximately $10 million deployed across 2018) and full acquisition in February 2025, Robotics Plus now operates as the hardware foundation of Yamaha Agriculture, Inc., a US-based company combining its robotics portfolio with The Yield's data analytics. The company retains its Tauranga headquarters and leadership team, with named customers including Stemilt, ISO Limited, and partners across the agricultural and logistics sectors.

Name

Robotics Plus

Legal name

Robotics Plus Limited

Website

https://roboticsplus.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Robotics Plus designs autonomous agricultural robots, robotic fruit packers, and AI-driven log scaling systems for specialty crop growers, packhouses, and port operators across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. It now operates as part of Yamaha Agriculture following Yamaha Motor's February 2025 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Robotics

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural & Field Robotics (HDAAAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autonomous Field Robots & Tractors (Driverless tractors, robotic carriers) (AFAAAGAA), Autonomous Spraying & Crop-Care Robots (Targeted application, spot spraying) (AFAAAGAE), Autonomous/Robotic Crop Protection Applicators (UGVs, Smart Sprayers) (AFAAADAJ), Robotics & Autonomous Field Operations (Weeding, Spraying, Harvest Assist, Autonomous Tractors) (AFAGALAJ), Agricultural UAV/UGV Autonomy Platforms (Navigation, mission planning, fleet autonomy) (AFAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Agricultural automation
• Autonomous ground vehicles
• Fruit packing robotics
• Port log scaling
• Precision agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Tauranga

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Autonomous Vehicle Sales: Sale of autonomous agricultural vehicles including the Prospr platform and modular attachments for spraying, weeding, and other field operations.
2. Fruit Packing Equipment: Sale and potentially service of automated produce packing systems including the Āporo Fruit Packer for apple and fruit packing operations.
3. Log Scaling Systems: Sale of robotic log scaling machines available as fixed or mobile units for port automation, including ongoing remote monitoring and support services.
4. Data Analytics and AI Solutions: AI-powered digital solutions for yield predictions and optimization of on and off-farm operations, delivered through Yamaha Agriculture partnership with The Yield technology.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Robotics Plus designs, builds, and sells robotic and autonomous agricultural machines for specialty crop growers, ports, and packhouses. Its portfolio includes the Prospr autonomous multi-purpose hybrid ground vehicle for spraying, weed control, and mowing in orchards and vineyards, the Mobile Log Scaler for automated log measurement at ports, and the Āporo Fruit Packer for automated produce packing. The company combines robotics, sensing, AI, and data analytics to deliver precision agriculture hardware and software solutions.

Product overview

Robotics Plus is an agricultural automation company that designs and builds a portfolio of robotics, AI, and autonomous machines. The product suite includes three core offerings: (1) the Mobile Log Scaler for automated port log measurement using 3D scanning and neural networks, (2) the Prospr Unmanned Ground Vehicle - a modular autonomous hybrid platform for spraying, weed control and other orchard/vineyard tasks, and (3) the Produce Packer (Āporo Fruit Packer) for automated fruit sorting and packing. These products share a common foundation in robotics, automation, sensing, AI, and data analytics, with remote monitoring and cloud connectivity. Following the 2025 acquisition by Yamaha Motor, these products now form the hardware foundation of Yamaha Agriculture, Inc., combined with The Yield's data analytics capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prospr: Robust, autonomous, multi-purpose hybrid vehicle platform for orchard and vineyard tasks including spraying, weed control, and mowing.
• Āporo Fruit Packer
• Mobile Log Scaler
• Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Products and services

• Mobile Log Scaler The world's first robotic log scaling machine that accurately measures log volume and dimensions as trucks arrive at ports using Lidar, cameras, and neural networks to construct 3D models. Available as fixed or mobile units, it processes up to 20 trucks per hour and serves port operators and log processing facilities.
• Prospr Unmanned Ground Vehicle A robust, autonomous, multi-purpose hybrid vehicle with modular architecture allowing rotation of tools across a single vehicle for spraying, weed control, and mowing in tree crops, orchards, and vineyards. Features electric drive motors with Tier 4 diesel generator for extended operation, intelligent spray targeting, and AI-driven continuous learning for large-scale specialty crop growers.
• Āporo Fruit Packer Automated fruit packing system using neural networks and robotics for intelligent fruit orientation decisions from infeed through placement in trays with suction cups. Handles 100+ fruit per minute with configurable stem and color orientation in single or double outlet configurations, serving packhouses and fruit processing facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processing capacity of up to 20 trucks per hour for log scaling operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025Yamaha Motor acquired Robotics Plus to form the foundation of Yamaha Agriculture, Inc., a new US-based company focused on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions for specialty crop growers. Yamaha has supported Robotics Plus with strategic investment since 2017. The acquisition enables global scale manufacturing and market expansion.
• The Yield Technology SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025The Yield was also acquired by Yamaha Agriculture to bring advanced data analytics and AI-powered models for yield predictions and operational optimization, complementing Robotics Plus' robotic solutions.
• NZTE (New Zealand Trade and Enterprise)minorOthersGovernment entity that played a role in early growth through export development and market access support.
• Callaghan InnovationminorOthersGovernment agency that supported early growth through R&D funding and innovation programs.
• MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries)minorOthersNew Zealand government ministry supporting primary industry innovation that played a role in early growth.
• MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment)minorOthersNew Zealand government department supporting business innovation and employment that contributed to early growth.
• ISO LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorISO Limited operates robotic log scalers from Robotics Plus. CEO Paul Cameron noted the technology eliminates worker exposure to hazards.
• BurrowscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company in the agricultural sector featured in the 'Who we work with' section.
• CroplandscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company in the agricultural sector featured in the 'Who we work with' section.
• QubecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company in logistics and port operations featured in the 'Who we work with' section.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• John Deere: Global leader in agricultural machinery with its See & Spray autonomous spraying technology and autonomous tractor roadmap. Competes with Prospr across specialty and broad-acre crops, with vastly greater scale, dealer network, and balance sheet.
• AGCO: Major global agricultural equipment manufacturer with Fendt and other precision agriculture brands investing in autonomous and smart spraying solutions. A broad incumbent competing for the same specialty and row-crop automation wallet.
• CNH Industrial: Global agricultural and construction equipment manufacturer (Case IH, New Holland) investing in autonomous tractor and precision agriculture technology. Broad incumbent competing for automation dollars across specialty and row crops.
• Trimble: Precision agriculture technology provider offering GPS guidance, autonomous workflows, and farm management software. Competes in the precision agriculture layer that complements or substitutes for Robotics Plus's AI/data stack.

Direct peers

• SwarmFarm Robotics: Australian agricultural robotics company building autonomous UGV platforms for spraying, mowing, and weeding in broad-acre and specialty crops. Closely comparable in target market (Australia/NZ specialty crops), product category, and company stage.
• Naio Technologies: French agricultural robotics company specializing in autonomous weeding robots (Oz, Ted, Dino) for specialty crops and vineyards. Direct competitor in robotic weeding and mechanical cultivation, addressing similar labor-replacement pain points.
• Ecorobotix: Swiss company developing AI-powered autonomous spraying robots (ARA) for targeted crop protection. Direct competitor in intelligent spraying with a similar specialty-crop focus and AI-driven precision approach.
• Saga Robotics: Norwegian agricultural robotics company offering the Thorvald autonomous platform for UV-C treatment, spraying, and logistics in greenhouses and vineyards. Comparable autonomous UGV technology with a specialty-crop orientation.

Emerging players

• Advanced Farm Technologies: US-based agricultural robotics startup developing autonomous strawberry picking robots. Emerging player in specialty-crop robotics with similar AI/computer-vision approach to Robotics Plus's Āporo Fruit Packer.
• Tevel Aerobotics: Israeli company developing autonomous flying robots for fruit picking using AI vision. Emerging player addressing the same fruit harvesting labor shortage that drives demand for Āporo Fruit Packer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Robotics_Plus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfUZjwVhwFJ2LcEbBTKmKbg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robotics-plus
• Facebookfacebook.com/robotics-plus-ltd-663269663740028

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Robotics Plus