Niqo Robotics

Niqo Robotics is an agritech company whose site describes AI-powered robotics for sustainable farming. Its main machine is the RoboWeeder, a robot that weeds and thins specialty crops at speed. The company says it has worked with agricultural experts since 2015 and that its technology has been tested on real farms in India and the USA. It is based in India. Its site says the systems are designed to save cost and time on farms.

Robots and sensing

• RoboWeeder: a robot that weeds and thins crops, and also handles beneficial insects, in one AI-powered pass.
• Niqo Sense: a proprietary AI camera that sees, selects and spot sprays precise agrochemical doses, which the company says lowers spraying costs.
• Retrofit spraying: a route for regular farm equipment to be turned into smart spot-spray equipment.
• Specialty crops: precision-engineered machines for crops such as lettuce. The company says it works on the specific challenges of a real farm.

Development and partners

The company says its products come from collaboration between local growers, agricultural scientists, software specialists, hardware engineers and OEM partners. It lists press coverage in Indian and agri-finance publications and states that its approach was made with farmers. The site also names The Hindu, The Better India and AgFundersNews among outlets that have covered the company. Founder and chief executive Jaisimha Rao is quoted describing the spot spray robot as engineering shaped by the needs of a working farm. The site also invites investors to explore its farming technology.

Key facts

• Based in: India
• Products: RoboWeeder, Niqo Sense AI camera
• Markets: India and the USA, where the technology has been tested on farms