What Cyclair does

Cyclair is a French agritech company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Pressac (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) that develops autonomous mechanical weeding robots designed to replace chemical herbicides in large-scale field crop farming. The company targets two converging pressures on conventional European agriculture: tightening regulatory restrictions on herbicide use and a worsening agricultural labor shortage. Its technology is purpose-built for 200-500 hectare farms growing maize, sunflower, and rapeseed, with explicit design heritage for large irregular fields rather than adaptation from market gardening robotics. The company is organized as a French SAS (Société par actions simplifiée) with registered share capital of €866,960 and employs approximately 30 people as of late 2024.

The core product is the Cylink-powered robot ecosystem comprising two rover platforms — the flagship Rover GW (7m wide, 3.5 tonnes, 12 tools, 40-hour thermal hybrid autonomy, 28 ha/day throughput) and the first-generation Rover GS (3m wide) — together with six interchangeable mechanical weeding tools (BAC, Doigts Kress, Disques de Buttage, Sarcleuse Semi-Flexible, Bineuse Flexible, Bineuse Semi-Flexible) plus an optional precision spot-spray module. The proprietary AI combines GPS RTK positioning, LiDAR, computer vision, and deep learning models trained on hundreds of thousands of crop-specific images collected under real field conditions. The robot operates autonomously for up to 22 hours per day, distinguishes crops from weeds in real-time including in gaps caused by wildlife or pest damage, and reports field status to the Cyclair Cloud. Reported performance metrics include 80-95% herbicide reduction, 97% weeding efficiency after 3-4 passes, yield maintenance or improvement (e.g., +10 quintaux/ha on maize), and a 3-year ROI, with 95% of fleet issues resolved remotely.

Cyclair runs a sales-led, hardware-plus-software business model combining direct sales to agricultural cooperatives and large farms with an authorized distributor network selected for installation and maintenance capacity. Revenue streams include hardware sales of rovers and interchangeable tools plus recurring cloud-based software services for fleet management, agronomic reporting, weed counting, and decision support. The company is venture-backed, having closed a €2.1M seed round in December 2023 led by BAdGE business angels with strategic participation from agricultural cooperatives Centre Ouest Céréales and Cérèsia, Crédit Agricole Touraine Poitou, and Nouvelle Aquitaine Co-Investissement, alongside earlier public and regional funding from BPI France, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France 2030, and EU FEDER/FSE. A crowdfunding extension opened on Sowefund in August 2025. The company is targeting profitability by 2026 and holds JEI (Young Innovative Company) status for individual investor tax incentives.

Name

Cyclair

Legal name

Cyclair

Website

https://cyclair.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cyclair is a French agritech company developing autonomous AI-powered mechanical weeding robots (Rover GW and GS) that replace chemical herbicides for large-scale field crop farms (200-500 hectares). Founded in 2019, headquartered in Pressac, with approximately 30 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Robotics

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotic Weeding & Mechanical Cultivation Systems (AFAAAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autonomous Field Robots & Tractors (Driverless tractors, robotic carriers) (AFAAAGAA), Robotics & Autonomous Field Operations (Weeding, Spraying, Harvest Assist, Autonomous Tractors) (AFAGALAJ), Robotic Implements, End-Effectors & Tooling (Grippers, cutters, weeding tools, smart implements) (AFAAAGAI), Agricultural & Field Robotics (HDAAAIAD), Agricultural UAV/UGV Autonomy Platforms (Navigation, mission planning, fleet autonomy) (AFAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Autonomous weeding robots
• Precision agriculture
• Mechanical weed control
• Agricultural robotics
• Crop protection solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Pressac

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Autonomous Weeding Robots (Hardware): Sale of autonomous rover robots (GW and GS models) and interchangeable mechanical weeding tools. Robots available in electric (8h/8ha autonomy) and thermal hybrid (40h/40ha autonomy) versions. Revenue from hardware sales with optional precision spray system.
2. Software/Cylink Cloud Services: Cloud-connected fleet management, task planning, agronomic reporting, weed counting and reporting, remote supervision and assistance. Revenue from software services integrated with hardware.
3. Authorized Distributor Network: Revenue generated through authorized distributors who handle installation, maintenance, and local support for farmers. Cyclair selects distributors based on installation and maintenance capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cyclair designs, manufactures, and sells autonomous AI-powered weeding robots (Rover GW 7m and Rover GS 3m) equipped with interchangeable mechanical tools that mechanically remove weeds from row crops (maize, sunflower, rapeseed) without chemical herbicides. The robots are sold to large-scale farms (200-500ha) and agricultural cooperatives through authorized distributors, with an integrated Cylink cloud platform providing fleet management, agronomic reporting, and remote assistance.

Product overview

Cyclair offers an integrated ecosystem of autonomous mechanical weeding robots for large-scale agriculture, comprising two rover platforms (GW 7m and GS 3m) with swappable tool attachments (BAC, Doigts Kress, Disques de Buttage, Bineuse Semi-Flexible, Bineuse Flexible, Sarcleuse Semi-Flexible), all powered by the proprietary Cylink AI technology platform. The system enables 80-95% herbicide reduction while maintaining crop yields, with cloud connectivity for fleet management, agronomic reporting, and remote support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rover GW Flagship 7m-wide autonomous weeding rover for large-scale farming (200-500ha). Achieves 97% weeding efficiency by the 3rd or 4th pass, with 40-hour hybrid thermal autonomy, 28 ha/day throughput, and optional electric version (8h/8ha autonomy). Treats 3 rows simultaneously using up to 12 mechanical tools, with centimeter-precision AI-guided navigation.
• Rover GS First-generation 3m-wide autonomous weeding rover. Released January 2023, validated with preseries in June 2024. Designed for initial crop testing (maize, sunflower, rapeseed) and smaller-scale field operations, serving as the precursor to the larger GW model.
• Cylink Technology Platform Proprietary AI platform powering the Cyclair rover ecosystem. Includes computer vision for weed/crop detection, autonomous navigation (GPS RTK, LiDAR, cameras), cloud connectivity for data exchange, and remote fleet management. Delivers agronomic decision support, weed counting/reporting, predictive maintenance, and remote assistance capable of resolving 95% of fleet issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80-95% reduction in herbicide use
• +5 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 capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Technopole Grand PoitiersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Business incubator providing support, guidance toward funding institutions, and access to research partners including Xlim (CNRS/University of Poitiers) and Institut Pprim' research labs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Naio Technologies: French agricultural robotics company developing autonomous weeding robots (Oz, Dino, Ted) for row crops and vineyards. Direct competitor with similar mechanical-weeding focus and French base, though more diversified across smaller-scale and specialty crops.
• Carbon Robotics: US-based company behind the LaserWeeder, an autonomous robot using computer vision and high-powered lasers to kill weeds without herbicides. Targets large-scale row crop farms; closest direct competitor in vision-based autonomous weeding at commercial scale.
• Ecorobotix: Swiss company producing the ARA smart sprayer and AVO weeding robot, using computer vision for ultra-high precision spraying and mechanical weeding. Comparable in autonomy, AI/vision stack, and large-crop focus; well-funded European peer.
• FarmDroid: Danish manufacturer of the FD20 autonomous weeding robot using GPS and seeding coordinates for sugar beet and organic vegetables. Direct peer in autonomous mechanical weeding; complementary rather than identical crop and tooling approach.

Emerging players

• Garford Farm Equipment: UK-based manufacturer of Robocrop precision mechanical weeders and in-row guided hoes, often used with tractor-mounted camera guidance. Adjacent autonomous-mechanical weeding competitor with established dealer network in UK/Europe.
• Verdant Robotics: US-based agricultural robotics startup offering the Sharpshooter autonomous weeding and thinning robot, blending computer vision, machine learning, and millimeter-precise robotics for specialty row crops. Comparable AI-first autonomous weeding approach; smaller in row-crop scope than Cyclair.
• K.U.L.T. (Kress Landtechnik): German precision weeding equipment maker with camera-guided intra-row hoes and finger weeders used in organic and conventional row crops. Comparable end-effector/weeding-tool portfolio; sold as tractor implements rather than autonomous robots.
• Small Robot Company: UK startup developing Tom, Dick, and Harry autonomous farming robots for weeding, mapping, and planting using per-plant computer vision. Comparable autonomous-per-plant weeding vision; smaller scale and primarily UK-focused.

Broad incumbents

• John Deere (Deere & Company): Global agricultural machinery incumbent investing heavily in autonomous tractors and See & Spray precision spraying technology. Represents the most consequential broad incumbent in autonomous agricultural robotics, with vastly larger resources and distribution.
• AGCO Corporation: Global agricultural equipment manufacturer (Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra) investing in precision agriculture and autonomy. Broad incumbent with European tractor and implement portfolio that competes for dealer relationships and farm capital allocations alongside Cyclair.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cyclair

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 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 Cyclair