Frizzell

What Frizzell does

Frizzell Ltd is a New Zealand family-owned agricultural electronics manufacturer founded by brothers Alastair and Nick Frizzell (per detailed company history, established 2008; firmographic data lists 1991), headquartered in Kirwee, Canterbury. The company designs, assembles, and sells a proprietary product portfolio across three core areas: (1) solar-powered water pumping and irrigation systems (both off-grid and grid-tied), (2) agricultural weighing systems including agricultural scales, batch weighers, the Smart Paddock Weigher (SP Weigher) with real-time cellular data transmission, portable and permanent modular weighbridges, and farm implement scales, and (3) livestock handling crates and environmental monitoring instruments such as the solar-powered Soil Moisture and Temperature Datalogger. Underlying technology centers on solar power electronics with variable frequency inverters, precision load cells (0.05% FSV accuracy), and IoT-enabled cellular telemetry.

Frizzell operates a hybrid go-to-market combining a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (with add-to-cart, bank transfer, card, and Klarna payment options) for standardized catalog items, and a sales-led quote-based process for custom systems such as solar irrigation installations and permanent weighbridges. Pricing spans from NZ$29 (soil thermometers) to NZ$54,740+ (Fast Pack Portable Weighbridges), with payment in advance as default terms. The company is positioned as the largest specialist supplier of agricultural solar products in New Zealand, with claimed 15+ years in the field, and primarily serves New Zealand farmers, growers, agricultural contractors, and transport operators. Distribution is exclusively domestic (NZ-only) with customer pickup at the Kirwee headquarters.

Revenue mechanics are predominantly one-time hardware sales supplemented by custom design/build services for larger systems. The business is privately held, family-run, with no external investors or parent company disclosed. R&D activity is supported by a series of small Callaghan Innovation grants (NZ$3,246 to NZ$6,308 per round across 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022) rather than venture capital, consistent with the founder-led, organic-growth posture. The Smart Paddock Weigher won the 2021 Innovation Award at South Island Field Days, providing third-party validation of the company's innovation pipeline.

Name

Frizzell

Legal name

Frizzell Ltd

Website

https://frizzell.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Frizzell Ltd is a New Zealand family-owned manufacturer of solar-powered agricultural electronics and weighing systems — including solar water pumps, solar irrigation, weighbridges, the Smart Paddock Weigher, and soil monitoring instruments — serving NZ farmers, growers, and agricultural contractors via direct e-commerce and quote-based custom sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Electronics and Weighing Equipment

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control) (AFAAAHAG), Construction Management & General Contracting (EPCM, Scheduling, QA/QC, HSE) (EUAMAFAJ)

Keywords

• Agricultural electronics
• Solar water pumps
• Livestock weighing systems
• Solar irrigation equipment
• Farm weighing scales

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirwee

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time hardware sales of agricultural electronic products including solar pumps, scales, weighing systems, crates, and accessories. Products sold at fixed prices through e-commerce and quote-based for custom builds.
2. Custom System Design and Build: Custom design services for solar irrigation systems, weighbridges, and farm implement scales. Quote-based pricing with systems designed to customer specifications.
3. Professional Services: Technical consultation, installation guidance, and after-sales support. Direct engagement with technical team for product selection and system design.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Frizzell designs, assembles, and sells solar-powered agricultural electronics and weighing systems for New Zealand farmers and growers. The portfolio covers solar water pumps, solar irrigation systems, soil moisture and temperature monitoring, agricultural scales, livestock weighing crates, farm implement scales, and both portable and permanent weighbridges. Products are sold direct-to-consumer through an e-commerce shop and via quote-based custom system builds.

Product overview

Frizzell is a New Zealand owned and operated company that designs, assembles, and manufactures agricultural electronics products specifically for New Zealand agricultural and horticultural environments. The product portfolio is centered around three core areas: (1) Solar Technology - including Solar Water Pumps and Solar Irrigation systems for mains-free or grid-tied irrigation; (2) Weighing Systems - encompassing Agricultural Scales, Batch Weigher, Smart Paddock Weigher, Steel Weighing Platforms, Farm Implement Scales, and Weighbridges (both Portable Fast Pack and Permanent); and (3) Environmental Monitoring - including Soil Moisture and Temperature Datalogger, Soil Moisture Probe, Soil Temperature Thermometers, and Well Depth Sensors. The company also produces livestock handling equipment including Yearling Cattle Weighing Crates, Calf Debudding/Weighing Crates, and 3-Way Sheep Drafting Weighing Crates. Products are designed and developed by the Frizzell family team with over 15 years of experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Water Pumps Mains-free solar-powered water pumps using variable frequency inverters and plug 'n' play design, intended for farmers and growers needing to pump water in remote areas without mains electricity.
• Solar Irrigation Systems Custom-designed solar power systems for irrigation, offered in off-grid and grid-tied configurations, for New Zealand agricultural and horticultural operations seeking to reduce electricity and diesel costs.
• Soil Moisture and Temperature Datalogger (Frizzell SMTD)
• Agricultural Scales (FS750XF / FS1500XF / FS5000XF)
• Batch Weigher
• Smart Paddock Weigher (SP Weigher)
• Fast Pack Portable Weighbridges
• Permanent Weighbridges
• Farm Implement Scales
• Yearling Cattle Weighing Crate & Scales
• Calf Debudding / Weighing Crate
• 3-Way Sheep Drafting Weighing Crate
• Stock Crossing Light
• Farm Implement Scales (seeder/fertilizer/spreader/hopper/silo weighing)

Quantifiable outcome

• Solar irrigation systems can reduce water usage by 10% or more
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Grundfos: Global pump manufacturer offering solar and renewable-energy pumping variants (Grundfos SQFlex). Overlaps with Frizzell's solar pump and irrigation portfolio but operates at vastly greater scale and across non-agricultural end markets.
• Mettler-Toledo: Large global industrial and retail scale manufacturer with agricultural and livestock weighing products. Overlaps with Frizzell's scale and weighing platform lines, but is a multi-vertical incumbent with broader technology and service footprint.

Regional players

• Jain Irrigation Systems: India-headquartered global irrigation and integrated agricultural solutions provider. Comparable to Frizzell's solar irrigation line from the irrigation-application side, but focused on micro-irrigation and serving primarily Asian, African, and emerging markets rather than NZ.

Emerging players

• Davis Instruments: US manufacturer of weather stations, soil moisture sensors, and environmental monitoring hardware. Closest pure-play peer to Frizzell's Soil Moisture and Temperature Datalogger (SMTD) in the precision environmental monitoring category.
• Netafim: Israel-based precision irrigation specialist (drip and digital farming). Comparable to Frizzell's solar irrigation systems from the irrigation-application side, with a stronger software/precision-agriculture overlay and global distribution.

Direct peers

• LORENTZ: German-headquartered global leader in solar-powered water pumping solutions. Most direct international peer for Frizzell's solar water pumps and solar irrigation systems, with overlap in VFD-inverter-based off-grid pumping.
• Gallagher Group: New Zealand-based global leader in livestock weighing, EID, and animal management solutions. Direct competitor to Frizzell's weighing and EID products, particularly the SP Weigher, and operates in the same NZ agricultural customer base with substantially greater scale and international reach.
• Rinstrum: Australia-based specialist in industrial weighing indicators, load cells, and scales. Overlaps with Frizzell's agricultural scale product line (load bars, indicators, weighing platforms) and serves similar agricultural and industrial customers in the Australasian region.
• Datamars (Tru-Test): NZ-founded global livestock identification and weighing business (parent of Tru-Test). Direct competitor across EID readers, scales, and weigh indicators, and the most internationally scaled peer in Frizzell's weighing product line.
• Digi-Star: US-headquartered specialist in agricultural weighing — including feed mixer scales, yield monitors, and on-board weighing for harvesters and fertilizer spreaders. Directly comparable to Frizzell's farm implement scales segment, with broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FrizzellAgElectronics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frizzell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

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 Frizzell