New Zealand-founded horticultural robotics company Agovor has secured US$2.1 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round to accelerate the rollout of its autonomous electric tractor platform. The round was led by Tenacious Ventures, with participation from Hort Innovation through its investment fund managed by Artesian, alongside an individual investor backed via the Active Investor Plus scheme facilitated by Invest New Zealand. The capital injection signals growing confidence from Australian horticulture stakeholders in automation solutions tailored to real farm conditions.
Building Practical Automation for Growers
Agovor was founded by Richard Beaumont and Simon Carroll after encountering labor shortages and rising input costs at their own operation, Ardmore Nurseries. Frustrated by the limited practicality and affordability of existing technologies, the pair set out to design a solution that could integrate seamlessly into everyday farm workflows. Their approach centers on developing compact, fully electric autonomous tractors that address cost, accessibility, and ease-of-use barriers that have historically slowed adoption.
The company’s flagship eTractor operates autonomously for up to 10 continuous hours and is engineered to navigate narrow vineyard rows, orchard blocks, and berry tunnel houses. Designed as a lightweight unit, it can function reliably across varying weather conditions including heat, cold, wind, and rain. Rather than replacing entire machinery fleets, the system pairs the electric tractor with interchangeable towed attachments such as mowers and sprayers, enabling growers to switch tasks efficiently.
Early Customer Impact Across Australasia
Initial deployments across New Zealand and Australia have demonstrated measurable operational benefits, according to industry stakeholders. Hort Innovation reports that early adopters are achieving annual savings exceeding US$21,000 while reducing water use by up to 90 percent and chemical inputs by 12.5 percent. These efficiencies highlight the potential of automation to improve sustainability and cost management simultaneously.
Commercial growers have echoed these findings in field applications. At Lewis Farms, a strawberry producer, multiple eTractors operate within tight tunnel houses where conventional equipment cannot fit. The machines have allowed staff to shift toward higher-value tasks, prompting the business to expand its robotic fleet.
Similarly, Wither Hills Winery has integrated the system into vineyard operations over the past 18 months, citing consistent hardware and software support as a factor in ordering an additional unit. Berry De’vine has reported visible improvements in soil health after transitioning from heavier traditional tractors to Agovor’s lighter electric platform. Growers note that reduced soil compaction has led to improved plant vitality and overall orchard conditions within a single season.
Scaling Product and Infrastructure
The newly secured funding will support expanded research and development, manufacturing, and commercial operations. CEO Mike Riley stated that customer feedback has directly shaped product development, particularly requests for additional attachments to broaden use cases. With new capital, the company plans to accelerate product line expansion while strengthening sales and service networks across Australia and New Zealand.
Manufacturing and engineering activities are centered in Sydney, where the company is growing its mechanical, software, and production engineering teams. Sales and technical support roles are being added across New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. The expansion reflects Agovor’s strategy to pair advanced technology with localized service to ensure operational reliability for growers.
Strategic Backing from Agri-Tech Investors
Lead investor Tenacious Ventures focuses exclusively on agrifood technology and combines capital deployment with strategic advisory support. Its participation underscores a belief that scalable, practical automation will play a defining role in modernizing horticulture. Hort Innovation, through its investment mandate, aims to back early-stage technologies that enhance farm productivity through robotics, smart irrigation, and biotechnology.
By aligning venture capital expertise with grower-driven innovation priorities, the investor group is positioning Agovor to expand beyond pilot deployments toward broader commercial adoption. The involvement of government-supported capital pathways further reflects policy interest in strengthening agricultural resilience and competitiveness.
Agovor’s $2.1 million pre-seed round marks a significant milestone for the company as it scales its autonomous electric tractor platform across Australasia. With demonstrable cost savings, sustainability gains, and growing customer demand, the company is moving from proof-of-concept toward broader sector integration. As labor pressures and environmental constraints intensify, practical and affordable automation solutions such as Agovor’s may become an increasingly central feature of modern horticulture.