PlusGroup Horticulture (NZ)
New Zealand horticulture group in Tauranga; parent of Robotics Plus, developing orchard automation robots and agritech solutions.
PlusGroup Horticulture is a New Zealand-based group of agribusiness companies headquartered in Te Puna, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty. Founded by Steve Saunders, the group encompasses orchard ownership, horticulture management, proprietary fruit variety development, post-harvest operations, global pollen production, and robotic technology development. Saunders established PlusGroup as an integrated primary-industry enterprise drawing on hands-on farming experience and a vision for technology-enabled productivity gains.
The group's most prominent technology subsidiary is Robotics Plus Limited (RPL), co-founded in 2008 by Saunders and mechatronics engineer Alistair Scarfe. Robotics Plus develops mechanisation, automation, and sensor technologies for horticulture and other primary industries. Key products include the Robotic Apple Packer — which uses coordinated robotic arms and proprietary algorithms to pack 120 apples per minute for optimal visual presentation — and the QuadDuster, an assistive artificial pollination system used by approximately 25% of New Zealand's kiwifruit orchards, featuring GPS-guided pollen dispensing and speed control on all-terrain vehicles.
Robotics Plus also developed Prospr, a multi-use autonomous ground vehicle designed for sustainable vineyard and orchard operations, capable of carrying out crop tasks more efficiently and with reduced reliance on manual labour. The vehicle has been showcased in the Australasian market in partnership with Croplands Equipment. In 2024, Japanese agricultural machinery company Yamaha acquired Robotics Plus, signalling strong validation of the technology and opening pathways to global commercialisation.
PlusGroup's operations are centred at the Newnham Park Horticultural Innovation Centre in Te Puna, which houses nine companies including Kiwifruitz, Southern Produce, and Heilala Vanilla's manufacturing facility. The group received significant government innovation funding, with Robotics Plus securing a NZD 7.7 million government research grant. NOTE: The URL listed in the source directory (plusgroup.co.za) resolves to a South African real estate company unrelated to this New Zealand horticulture entity; the correct association is PlusGroup Horticulture NZ.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
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Contact PlusGroup Horticulture (NZ)
WEBSITE
https://www.plusgroup.co.zaPHONE
+64 (0)7 552 5985HEADQUARTERS
New Zealand
Company Facts
Founded
2000
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Oceania
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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