Yamaha Motor Establishes New U.S. Company for Precision Agriculture - Integrating innovations from Australia and New Zealand startups -
February 25, 2025
IWATA, February 25, 2025 - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has agreed to acquire New Zealand-based startup Robotics Plus, which specializes in agricultural automation solutions. Closing is scheduled to occur by April, after necessary procedures. Prior to this, Yamaha Motor purchased assets from The Yield Technology Solutions (hereafter, "The Yield"), an Australian startup providing digital agricultural solutions, and transferred those assets to a newly established subsidiary, Yamaha Agriculture Australia Pty Ltd. Furthermore, these two subsidiaries will be overseen by a new U.S.-based company, Yamaha Agriculture, Inc. Through this series of strategic moves, Yamaha Motor will develop and deliver automation and digital transformation solutions that enable precision agriculture, and aim to contribute to the realization of sustainable as well as profitable farming practices.
Robotics Plus specializes in developing automation solutions for agriculture by leveraging its expertise in robotics, automation, sensing and data analytics. The company has a successful track record, developing Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) equipped with capabilities such as spraying and weed control. Robotics Plus has also developed groundbreaking systems like automated fruit packing machines and robotic systems to automate log measurement. Since 2017, Yamaha Motor has been investing in Robotics Plus to advance the development of agricultural automation technologies and to expand its presence in the agtech sector.
The Yield is a company that leverages advanced data analytics and AI to provide solutions that optimize both on and off-farm operations, including yield prediction and supporting critical decisions like harvest and spray timing. In 2021, Yamaha Motor signed a joint development agreement with The Yield to advance smart agriculture. Collaborative development efforts have focused on integrating data collection/utilization with robotics to drive smart agriculture innovations.
Yamaha Agriculture will combine robotic solutions with advanced data analytics to support producers of wine grapes, apples, and other specialty crops across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. By leveraging these technologies, the company helps growers reduce input costs, optimize resource utilization, and enhance productivity and sustainability. Yamaha Agriculture completed its company registration in April 2024 and began partial operations in July later that year.
Yamaha Motor's Long-Term Vision for 2030 is ART for Human Possibilities, with the goal of "Advance the use of Robotics, Rethink Solution, Transform Mobility." As part of this vision, Yamaha Motor has positioned agriculture as a strategic new business field and is fortifying operations toward making it a future core business and aiming for greater growth through demand creation. The acquisitions of these two companies and the launch of a new one are integral steps in achieving this objective.
■ Organization
Agricultural UGV from Robotics Plus
■ Hajime Aota, Chief Strategy Officer, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.:
"This move also aligns with Yamaha Motor's global technology roadmap, focusing on advanced energy management, intelligent systems, and software-driven solutions. With the launch of this new company, we aim to leverage Yamaha's technological expertise to contribute to sustainable and profitable farming, using a customer-centric approach. Growers will be able to better address challenges around labor shortages, resource scarcity, and the impacts from climate change."
■ Nolan Paul, Group CEO, Yamaha Agriculture, Inc.:
"Guided by our mission to ensure growers are sustainable, profitable, and resilient, Yamaha Agriculture recognizes that the challenges facing specialty crop growers require thoughtful solutions that will take time to develop. We believe meaningful innovation in agriculture emerges through close collaboration with growers and industry partners. The capabilities of Robotics Plus in robotics and automation and The Yield in AI-powered analytics represent two important building blocks in addressing these challenges. As we work to bring these technologies together, we are committed to a deliberate approach that prioritizes creating real value for growers while maintaining the high standards of quality and reliability for which Yamaha Motor is known."
■ Yamaha Agriculture, Inc.
Representative: Nolan Paul
Headquarters: Palo Alto, USA
Established: April 2024
Capital: USD 40,000,000
Business Activities: Development and sale of agricultural automation solutions
■ Yamaha Agriculture Australia Pty Ltd
Representative: Darren Clarke (CEO)
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Established: April 2024
Business Activities: Development and provision of agricultural data solutions and services
URL: https://www.theyield.com/
■ Robotics Plus Ltd
Representative: Steven Saunders (CEO)
Headquarters: Tauranga, New Zealand
Established: January 2008
Business Activities: Development of automated agricultural machines
URL: https://www.roboticsplus.co.nz/
Robotics Plus specializes in developing automation solutions for agriculture by leveraging its expertise in robotics, automation, sensing and data analytics. The company has a successful track record, developing Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) equipped with capabilities such as spraying and weed control. Robotics Plus has also developed groundbreaking systems like automated fruit packing machines and robotic systems to automate log measurement. Since 2017, Yamaha Motor has been investing in Robotics Plus to advance the development of agricultural automation technologies and to expand its presence in the agtech sector.
The Yield is a company that leverages advanced data analytics and AI to provide solutions that optimize both on and off-farm operations, including yield prediction and supporting critical decisions like harvest and spray timing. In 2021, Yamaha Motor signed a joint development agreement with The Yield to advance smart agriculture. Collaborative development efforts have focused on integrating data collection/utilization with robotics to drive smart agriculture innovations.
Yamaha Agriculture will combine robotic solutions with advanced data analytics to support producers of wine grapes, apples, and other specialty crops across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. By leveraging these technologies, the company helps growers reduce input costs, optimize resource utilization, and enhance productivity and sustainability. Yamaha Agriculture completed its company registration in April 2024 and began partial operations in July later that year.
Yamaha Motor's Long-Term Vision for 2030 is ART for Human Possibilities, with the goal of "Advance the use of Robotics, Rethink Solution, Transform Mobility." As part of this vision, Yamaha Motor has positioned agriculture as a strategic new business field and is fortifying operations toward making it a future core business and aiming for greater growth through demand creation. The acquisitions of these two companies and the launch of a new one are integral steps in achieving this objective.
■ Organization
Agricultural UGV from Robotics Plus
■ Hajime Aota, Chief Strategy Officer, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.:
"This move also aligns with Yamaha Motor's global technology roadmap, focusing on advanced energy management, intelligent systems, and software-driven solutions. With the launch of this new company, we aim to leverage Yamaha's technological expertise to contribute to sustainable and profitable farming, using a customer-centric approach. Growers will be able to better address challenges around labor shortages, resource scarcity, and the impacts from climate change."
■ Nolan Paul, Group CEO, Yamaha Agriculture, Inc.:
"Guided by our mission to ensure growers are sustainable, profitable, and resilient, Yamaha Agriculture recognizes that the challenges facing specialty crop growers require thoughtful solutions that will take time to develop. We believe meaningful innovation in agriculture emerges through close collaboration with growers and industry partners. The capabilities of Robotics Plus in robotics and automation and The Yield in AI-powered analytics represent two important building blocks in addressing these challenges. As we work to bring these technologies together, we are committed to a deliberate approach that prioritizes creating real value for growers while maintaining the high standards of quality and reliability for which Yamaha Motor is known."
■ Yamaha Agriculture, Inc.
Representative: Nolan Paul
Headquarters: Palo Alto, USA
Established: April 2024
Capital: USD 40,000,000
Business Activities: Development and sale of agricultural automation solutions
■ Yamaha Agriculture Australia Pty Ltd
Representative: Darren Clarke (CEO)
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Established: April 2024
Business Activities: Development and provision of agricultural data solutions and services
URL: https://www.theyield.com/
■ Robotics Plus Ltd
Representative: Steven Saunders (CEO)
Headquarters: Tauranga, New Zealand
Established: January 2008
Business Activities: Development of automated agricultural machines
URL: https://www.roboticsplus.co.nz/
