The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Tertill, maker of home weeding robot, merges with Harvest Automation

By Steve Crowe | June 7, 2023

Tertill, the developer of a solar-powered weeding robot for home gardens, has merged with Harvest Automation, an agrobotics-focused company best known for its plant-moving HV100 robots. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Harvest Automation is the name of the new company and there are currently a dozen employees. The company will continue to develop the HV100 and Tertill weeding robots, but there’s a new additional focus to develop a low-cost “farm tough” robot that Harvest isn’t ready to talk about publicly. Harvest conducted limited field trials of this new robot in 2022 and is starting more expansive trials in the next couple of months. 

“Together, we will bring to market an innovative solution for the specialty crop sector that will address labor shortages and increase farmers’ top line,” said Charles Grinnell, co-founder and CEO of Harvest Automation. “Longer term, this merged company will be a major player in the automation of food production.”

Tertill co-founder and chief product officer Rory MacKean is now the COO of Harvest Automation. “We are excited to join forces with Harvest Automation and to bring our expertise in outdoor automation to this new venture,” he said. “Our companies share a common goal of developing cutting-edge technology that improves labor productivity in the agriculture industry.”

Helen Greiner, who was named CEO and Chairman of Tertill in September 2020, will remain a board member and special advisor. Greiner co-founded iRobot in 1990, alongside Colin Angle and Rodney Brooks, and founded drone company CyPhy Works in 2008. She also recently served as an advisor to the U.S. Army.

Getting the band back together

One of the main reasons this deal came together is how familiar both companies are with one another. Joe Jones, co-founder of Tertill and inventor of the Roomba, co-founded Harvest Automation in 2007 and was CTO until he left to start Tertill in June 2015. He’s been an advisor at Harvest since he left. MacKean spent nearly five years as a software engineer at Harvest Automation before also leaving in June 2015.

At the time, Harvest Automation was also in the warehouse robotics business. But the space was getting crowded and both its robotic system for order fulfillment and the plant-moving robots “were on the ropes.” So it sold its robotic warehouse automation technology and business, which later became NextShift Robotics, in April 2016 and had to reduce its headcount.

However, Tertill and Harvest Automation have been co-located at the same office building in North Billerica, Mass. since the former was founded. “It was cost-effective for both companies,” Greiner said.

“We’re very excited about the merger,” Grinnell added. “Tertill brings great experience with their team and a great investor list who are going to be on the board of the new Harvest Automation.”

 

A growing portfolio

So Harvest Automation will now have the HV-100 plant-moving robots, the Tertill home weeding robot and the robot being developed in stealth. Before the merger, Tertill had been exploring the idea of developing a commercial weeding robot. But Grinnell said that won’t be a focus at the moment.

“It’s an interesting idea, but we do have limited resources,” he said.

Grinnell said Harvest Automation has about 200 HV-100 robots operating in Australia, Canada, Europe and the U.S. The robots are sold outright to customers with an extended service plan. Grinnell said the plant-moving robots haven’t received quite the traction he’d hoped for. “It’s a niche product,” said Grinnell. “But for those it works well for, it’s incredibly valuable for them.”

After shedding its warehouse robotics business in 2016, Grinnell said Harvest Automation became profitable the next year.

“By 2017, we had enough cash in the bank, enough capital, to develop a new product,” he said. “We started working on a new product in 2017 and that’s what we’re still working on today. That’s part of why the merger with Tertill was so important.”

Tertill uses two approaches to kill weeds. First, its wheels churn up the top layer of soil to keep weeds from sprouting. If any weeds do sprout, Tertill chops them down with its onboard string trimmer. The company first showcased its robot at our RoboBusiness 2016 startup competition and again at our 2017 CES Robotics Conference.

Tertill also seemingly hasn’t gotten the market traction it anticipated with its home weeding robot. But Grinnell is confident there are greener pastures ahead for the combined company.

“When I heard [Tertill was] looking to transition from a consumer robot to a commercial ag robot, I said they should come join our team because we have something exciting in the works,” Grinnell said. “And they said yes.”

About The Author

Steve Crowe

Steve Crowe is Executive Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media, and chair of the Robotics Summit & Expo and RoboBusiness. He is also co-host of The Robot Report Podcast, the top-rated podcast for the robotics industry. He joined WTWH Media in January 2018 after spending four-plus years as Managing Editor of Robotics Trends Media. He can be reached at scrowe@wtwhmedia.com

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

Monogram's orthopedic surgery system.
Zimmer Biomet to acquire Monogram Technologies for $177M
A Plus truck driving on a road.
Autonomous trucking developer Plus goes public via SPAC
From left: Pepper, Nao, and Plato from Aldebaran.
Aldebaran, maker of Pepper and Nao robots, put in receivership
Circus Group's CA-1 meal preparation robot.
Circus SE acquires agentic AI company FullyAI

RBR50 Innovation Awards

“rr
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Robotics Professionals.
The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Episode of The Robot Report Podcast

Automated Warehouse Research Reports

Sponsored Content

  • How to Set Up a Planetary Gear Motion with SOLIDWORKS
  • Sager Electronics and its partners, logos shown here, will exhibit at the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo. Sager Electronics to exhibit at the Robotics Summit & Expo
  • The Shift in Robotics: How Visual Perception is Separating Winners from the Pack
  • An AutoStore automated storage and retrieval grid. Webinar to provide automated storage and retrieval adoption advice
  • Smaller, tougher devices for evolving demands
The Robot Report
  • Automated Warehouse
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe