Kubota Corporation has led Kilter’s €6.5 million pre-Series B round, backing the Norwegian start-up’s autonomous, ultra-precise spot-spraying robot for high-value crops. Existing investors SBG Invest AS, Pymwymic and Nufarm also took part. Alongside the funding, Kubota and Kilter agreed a distribution deal that will introduce the technology through Kubota’s dealer networks in Germany and the Netherlands from 2026.
For global OEMs, the attraction of precison weeding bets is structural. Viable herbicide options are declining while resistance rises, tightening the screws on conventional weed control. At the same time, skilled labour is becoming scarcer and more expensive; particularly in vegetables, where hand weeding remains common. Precision autonomy that cuts inputs and replaces hard-to-source labour checks several boxes at once: regulatory compliance, sustainability targets and near-term payback.
Kilter’s AX‑1 robot applies single droplets with 6×6 mm precision, minimising crop injury and dramatically reducing chemical use, with knock-on benefits for soil health and yields. “We believe that Kilter offers an outstanding solution to help farmers manage weeds more efficiently and sustainably,” said Miquel Albareda, Kubota’s manager of corporate development. “This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to strategically investing in, and actively supporting, innovative start-ups from Kubota’s global perspective.”
Founded in 2015 within Adigo Mechatronics and spun out in 2020, Kilter has built a presence in Norway, Sweden and Germany and is now gearing up for broader expansion. “Kubota’s investment is a strong validation of our technology and long-term vision,” said Kilter’s managing director Anders Brevik.
Added value for growers
Convincing farmers to invest in autonomous machinery can be challenging. Surveys consistently highlight hurdles including affordability, technology unfamiliarity and questions around economic viability.
These concerns are amplified by broader OEM-sector headwinds. Weak farm incomes, high interest rates and elevated input costs have prompted many growers to delay equipment purchases, forcing manufacturers to cut production and reduce dealer inventories.
But vegetable growers immediately recognise the AX‑1’s value, believes Peter van Rees, strategic developer at Kubota’s Strategic Partnerships Office (EU). “The AX‑1 improves health, yield, quality, uniformity and avoids building up residues in products. All very important for vegetable growers,” he said.
The alternative to precision autonomy is often labour-intensive hand weeding, he stresses. As availability drops and wages rise, autonomy becomes a continuity solution as much as a cost lever. “In many cases the autonomy replaces manual labour which is very costly, and less and less available,” he said. “Replacing it with technology is actually perceived as reducing risk, especially in weeding.”
Real-farm experiences reflect the urgency. Vegetable grower Tjark Uhrbach told Kilter: “The number of available herbicides is declining rapidly for vegetables. Costs for weeding are increasing from year to year… We need alternatives like Kilter’s AX‑1 to make plant protection better.” His farm has been operating a robot since 2024, gradually adapting practices around it.
The AX‑1 currently supports more than 15 crops. It is particularly suited to herbs and high-density crops such as leafy salads and spinach – long-season crops with limited or no mechanical weeding options. “Lower-value bulk crops like sugar beets are challenging from a capacity and ROI perspective,” van Rees noted, “not necessarily from a technical one.”
Distribution, scale-up and manufacturing: disciplined expansion
The new investment will accelerate international scale-up and further technology development. Kubota and Kilter are prioritising markets where structural demand aligns: concentration of high-value vegetables, acute labour scarcity and increasing regulatory pressure on chemical use.
Beyond the 2026 launch in Germany and the Netherlands, expansion targets include France, Spain and the UK, with Italy and other markets under evaluation where agronomic and economic indicators are strong.
Kilter is also active in Australia through local partners, describing it as a “strategically important” market due to labour constraints and its counter-seasonal production cycle.
On manufacturing, Kilter plans to maintain centralised production for now to safeguard quality control, IP protection and efficient scaling. Local assembly may be added later where it enhances logistics and service.
“Our expansion strategy is disciplined,” van Rees said. “We enter markets where the economics are strong and where we can build long-term partnerships to support growers effectively.”
