Agovor, a New Zealand based horticultural robotics company, has closed a AU$3 million pre seed funding round to advance the development and deployment of its autonomous farming systems. The oversubscribed round was led by Tenacious Ventures, with co-investment from Hort Innovation Australia via the Hort Innovation Investment Fund managed by Artesian, alongside participation from an individual investor through the Active Investor Plus scheme facilitated by Invest New Zealand.
The company originated from operational challenges experienced within a commercial nursery environment, where labour constraints and rising costs highlighted gaps in available mechanisation options. Agovor’s product development has focused on addressing these practical barriers by creating affordable autonomous systems designed specifically for horticultural workflows.
Autonomous eTractor platform designed for horticulture
At the core of Agovor’s offering is an electric, autonomous eTractor paired with a range of smart towable attachments, including mowers and sprayers. These compact tractor and trailer units are engineered to operate continuously for up to 10 hours, navigate narrow crop rows, and function reliably across heat, cold, rain, and windy conditions. The modular design allows growers to switch trailers to perform multiple tasks using the same base vehicle.
Operations are coordinated through the Agovor Portal, which enables deployment, monitoring, and control of a single eTractor or an entire fleet. The platform is positioned to be accessible for growers of varying scales, enabling multiple autonomous units to work collaboratively in ways that are often impractical or uneconomical with conventional driver-operated tractors.
Initial customers across New Zealand and Australia are already using the system in berry tunnel houses, orchards, and vineyards. Feedback from these deployments has informed ongoing product refinement, with a focus on improving the eTractor, expanding the range of towable implements, and supporting customers to maximise machine utilisation around the clock.
Agovor started as a way to solve a problem for our own use at Ardmore Nurseries. 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.
Reported savings and on-farm outcomes
Early adopters are reporting measurable operational and environmental outcomes. According to Hort Innovation Australia, growers using Agovor’s technology are seeing annual savings exceeding AU$30,000, alongside a 90 percent reduction in water use and a 12.5 percent reduction in chemical inputs. The technology is being applied to improve efficiency, lower input costs, and make on-farm automation more accessible across horticultural operations.
Commercial berry production sites have highlighted the ability of the eTractor to work autonomously in tight tunnel houses where traditional machinery cannot operate, freeing farm teams for higher-skill tasks and supporting decisions to expand fleets. Vineyard operators, including Wither Hills Winery, have pointed to consistent hardware and software support over extended periods as a factor in ordering additional units.
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At Berry D’vine, the most visible impact has been on soil condition. The lighter weight of the eTractor compared with conventional tractors has allowed compacted ground to recover within a single season, with healthier grass and plants, reduced tyre marking, and noticeable improvements in overall orchard appearance. Berry growers at Lewis Farms have similarly reported reliable autonomous operation in narrow growing environments and operational efficiencies that supported the acquisition of multiple units.
Investment to accelerate R&D, manufacturing, and regional expansion
The newly secured capital will be directed toward accelerating research and development, expanding manufacturing operations in Sydney, and strengthening sales and service infrastructure across both Australia and New Zealand. Customer feedback is shaping the next phase of product development, with existing users requesting additional attachments to address a wider range of on-farm needs. The company plans to pursue these product line expansions while building a professional sales and service network to support growers across regional markets.
Agovor is moving immediately to scale its workforce, with expansion underway across research and development, manufacturing, sales, and field support. Open roles include sales and technical field support positions in New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia; mechanical and software development roles based in Sydney; and production engineering and manufacturing technician positions also located in Sydney.
With the pre-seed round now closed, Agovor is positioning its autonomous eTractor platform for broader deployment, focusing on product maturity, attachment diversity, and regional service capability as it advances its presence across horticultural operations in Australia and New Zealand.