Yamaha Motor has invested $8m in agtech start-up Robotics Plus, after initially investing $2m in March. The company is developing a robot that can be controlled by an operator and will have the ability to move around autonomously on its own. Robotics Plus launched a robotic apple packer called Aporo in May and is developing an autonomous agricultural vehicle, robotic kiwifruit harvester, robotic pollinator and crop estimator.
Yamaha Motor has invested $8m in agtech start-up Robotics Plus, after initially investing $2m in March. The funds will be used to help expand the New Zealand-based company into an international business, while helping Yamaha make agriculture more "sustainable, healthy, and secure" by tackling labour shortages, said Hiro Saijo, the CEO of Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley. Robotics Plus launched a robotic apple packer called Aporo in May and is developing an autonomous agricultural vehicle, robotic kiwifruit harvester, robotic pollinator and crop estimator.