What Hortech does

Hortech is an Italian manufacturer of specialized agricultural machinery for the horticulture sector, founded in 2004 and operating under the parent entity Fyeld S.p.A. The company is headquartered in Agna, in the Padua horticultural region of Italy, with its legal seat in Pilastri di Bondeno (Ferrara). Hortech designs and produces a full-cycle product portfolio spanning soil preparation (bed formers-rotavators, stone buriers, mulch layers), precision transplanting (manual and self-propelled transplanters with mulch-layer integration), and harvesting (self-propelled, tracked, electric, and towed harvesters for head vegetables, leafy products, and fourth gamma produce). Its portfolio includes more than 30 distinct product models, anchored by proprietary technologies such as the VENTUM vertical air tunnel harvester (>50% higher capacity vs. traditional machines), the patented AI MAXI DG double steel grid soil refinement system, the AIRONE multi-row folding frame, and a growing line of brushless-electric harvesters.

The company sells primarily via a hardware revenue model using quote-based pricing determined by configuration and customer requirements. Go-to-market is a hybrid of direct field sales — led by Export Manager Luca Casotto — and a dealer/importer network spanning more than 60 countries, reinforced by an active trade fair presence at EIMA, Agritechnica, Fruit Attraction, Macfrut, Fruit Logistica, SIVAL, and World AG Expo, and a multilingual website in six languages. The customer base consists of commercial vegetable growers and fourth gamma (ready-to-eat) processors across Europe and selected international markets. The company has received three recognized industry innovation awards (Agritechnica 2019 Silver, Macfrut 2019 Gold, EIMA 2020/21 Technical Innovation) and is privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds, M&A activity, or public listing.

Name

Hortech

Legal name

Fyeld S.p.A.

Website

https://hortech.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hortech is an Italian manufacturer of specialized agricultural machinery for horticulture, producing soil preparation, transplanting, and harvesting equipment (30+ models) for commercial vegetable growers and fourth gamma processors across 60+ countries under parent Fyeld S.p.A.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Machinery for Horticulture

NAICS

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

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Harvesting & Forage Equipment (IMAHACAD)

Keywords

• Agricultural machinery
• Horticulture equipment
• Vegetable harvesting machines
• Soil preparation equipment
• Transplanting machines

Headquarters

HQ city

Padua

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Machinery Sales: Hortech generates revenue primarily through the sale of agricultural machinery including soil preparation equipment, transplanters, and harvesters. Products are sold directly to agricultural businesses and through dealer networks worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hortech designs, manufactures, and sells specialized agricultural machinery for professional horticulture across three product lines: soil preparation (bed formers, rototillers, stone buriers, mulch layers), precision transplanting (manual and self-propelled transplanters with mulch laying), and harvesting (self-propelled, tracked, electric, and towed harvesters for head vegetables, leafy greens, and fourth-range produce). The machines serve commercial vegetable growers, including producers of washed and packaged ready-to-eat salads, in over 60 countries.

Product overview

Hortech designs and manufactures agricultural machinery for horticulture, organized into three main product lines: soil preparation, transplanting, and harvesting. The soil preparation line includes bed formers-rotavators (AF SUPER, AI MAXI, AI MAXI DG), bed formers (AB-AP), and mulch laying machines (PACCIAMATRICE P), with the AIRONE foldable frame enabling simultaneous multi-row operation. The transplanting line features manual and automatic transplanters (DUE MANUAL/MATIC, DUE AUTOMATIC/AUTO-MATIC, TRE/TRE MATIC, PRACTICA, PRACTICA MIDI, PRACTICA DUO, OVER/OVER PLUS), many capable of combined mulch laying. The harvesting line includes self-propelled, tracked, electric, and towed harvesters (SLIDE, SLIDE TRAX, SLIDE ECO, VENTUM series, HOOVER series, RAPID, SHAKER STATION) designed for head vegetables, leafy products, and fourth range produce. The product portfolio spans over 30 distinct models targeting professional horticulture operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AF SUPER Bed Former-Rotavator Bed former-rotavator that works soil in depth without modifying its natural structure, using rear rotor teeth to crush clods and redirect larger ones to the front rotor. Designed for vegetable and horticultural producers.
• AI MAXI Stone Burier Bed Former-Rotavator

Quantifiable outcome

• VENTUM provides over 50% superior harvesting capacity compared to traditional machines
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dewulf: Dutch-Belgian manufacturer of root crop and vegetable harvesting equipment (potatoes, carrots). Direct competitor in the harvesting machinery category with comparable European dealer footprint.
• Guaresi: Italian manufacturer of transplanters and harvesters for horticultural crops including tobacco, vegetables, and seedlings. Direct competitor sharing similar Italian heritage, dealer model, and specialty crop focus.
• Checchi & Magli: Italian manufacturer of mechanical transplanters for vegetables and seedlings, with global distribution. Direct competitor in the transplanting equipment category, serving similar professional horticulture customers.
• ASA-Lift: Danish manufacturer of specialized harvesters for vegetables, including leafy greens, cabbages, and carrots. Direct competitor in the vegetable harvesting segment with strong European installed base.
• Ortomec: Italian maker of vegetable harvesting and transplanting machinery for baby leaf, arugula, spinach, and similar crops. Direct competitor in the exact leafy-green/fourth gamma harvester category targeted by Hortech's SLIDE product line.
• Simon: French manufacturer of harvesters and handling equipment for fruits and vegetables. Direct competitor with overlap in vegetable harvesting machinery for European horticulture markets.
• Ferrari Costruzioni Meccaniche: Italian manufacturer of specialized transplanting and harvesting equipment for vegetables, operating from the same horticultural heartland. Direct competitor in transplanters and vegetable harvesters serving professional growers with comparable product categories.

Emerging players

• Oxbo International: US-based manufacturer of specialty harvesters for vegetables, berries, and other high-value crops. Similar specialty-crop harvester focus but with a North American geographic concentration.
• Ploeger: Dutch manufacturer of vegetable harvesting machinery, including pea and bean harvesters. Adjacent competitor in specialty crop harvesting with comparable technology positioning.
• Matev: German manufacturer of attachments and equipment for horticulture, municipalities, and agriculture. Adjacent peer with overlap in horticultural machine attachments and tooling.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Hortech