Key Takeaways
- Agovor secures AU$3 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round
- Round led by Tenacious Ventures with participation from Hort Innovation and OCAST-linked investment channels
- Company develops autonomous electric eTractors with towable attachments for horticulture
- Early adopters report cost savings, reduced water use, and lower chemical inputs
- Funding to support R&D, manufacturing expansion, and sales growth across Australia and New Zealand
Agovor Secures Pre-Seed Funding to Advance Autonomous Horticulture Solutions
Agovor, a New Zealand-founded horticultural robotics company, has closed a AU$3 million pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Tenacious Ventures, with co-investment from Hort Innovation Australia via the Hort Innovation Investment Fund managed by Artesian, and participation from an individual investor through the Active Investor Plus (AIP) scheme facilitated by Invest New Zealand.
Co-founders Richard Beaumont and Simon Carroll described the oversubscribed round as strong industry validation for Agovor’s approach to developing affordable autonomous robots for horticulture.
“Agovor started as a way to solve a problem for our own use at Ardmore Nurseries,” said Beaumont. “We had the same problems as everyone else – labour constrained, while trying to reduce costs – but there were too many barriers for adoption of new solutions.”
Agovor’s core product combines an electric, autonomous eTractor with interchangeable towable attachments such as mowers and sprayers. The lightweight units can operate for up to 10 hours, navigate narrow rows, and function in varied weather conditions.
Early Adopters Report Operational and Environmental Gains
The Agovor Portal enables operators to deploy and monitor single units or fleets. The company positions its system as scalable and economically viable compared to conventional driver-operated tractors.
Anthony Kachenko, General Manager of Production and Sustainability at Hort Innovation, stated that early adopters are reporting savings of more than $30,000 annually, along with a 90% reduction in water use and a 12.5% reduction in chemical inputs.
Berry grower Cam Lewis of Lewis Farms said, “A few years ago, having a fleet of robots on our farm felt like science fiction. Now it just feels inevitable.”
Wither Hills Winery and Berry D’vine also reported operational benefits, including soil health improvements and consistent hardware and software support.
Agovor Expands R&D and Market Presence
Agovor CEO Mike Riley said the investment will accelerate research and development, expand manufacturing in Sydney, and strengthen sales and service infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand.
“We’ll now be able to aggressively pursue those product line expansion opportunities while building a sales and service network that will enable us to professionally service the needs of growers,” Riley said.
The company is expanding its R&D, production, sales, and field support teams, with new roles opening across Australia and New Zealand as it scales deployment of its autonomous horticulture systems.
