Kingdom Technologies, the Glasgow-based firm that claims to be the “pioneering developer of autonomous robotic lawn mowers for large terrain” has raised £2 million in a seed round. The funding aims to see the startup aerate the production line as well as fertilise its efforts on American turf.
According to Kingdom Technologies, their all-electric lawnmowing robot “outperforms all current existing products in the market” which would be a rather easy feat if they are the pioneering developer of said technology.
Compared to traditional robotic lawnmowers, which are aimed at residential customers who are so strapped for time that they can’t enjoy the simple pleasure of maintaining their garden, Kingdom Technologies’ offer targets commercial customers, e.g. golf course owners, public parks, university campuses, and/or turf supply companies.
Where the king of robotic lawnmowers stands apart is in the fact that it can cover up to 10 times the area of the market standard, requires no installation of any boundary cables, and “ensures the highest cutting quality”.
The lack of boundary cables is achieved via a web platform, whereby the gigantic lawn owner can simply draw a virtual boundary of the area to be shorn on satellite photos of the particular location, with options to define danger zones (just like Kenny Loggins), subregions (just like Rush), working times (also just like Rush), mowing frequency (just like R.E.M.) and cutting height (just like De La Soul).
As for that quality cut, Kingdom the robotic mower uses a three-blade cutting system to reach lawn edges and grass around obstacles, all the while employing “advanced safety measures” via various sensors. Fear not, Fido will be fine. According to the company.
"Developing a robust and reliable robotic product requires a long piloting period to make sure that the products are capable of performing in various environments and can handle complicated real-world edge cases,” commented Kingdom Technologies’ CEO Joan Kangro. “We've run pilots for two years with real customers and solved most of the issues to provide a reliable service.”
Kingdom Technologies’ £2 million seed round was led by Jaan Tallinn's Metaplanet, Ironwolf, Superangel, and Specialist VC (formerly known as United Angels VC) with Scottish Enterprise also participating. The round also includes a number of additional undisclosed European investors and grant funding provided by the Scottish Government.
“We’ve supported Kingdom Technologies for some time so it’s great to see the company’s continued growth and expansion, including plans to create more Scottish jobs and to target the lucrative US market,” commented Scottish Enterprise’s Kerry Sharp. “The company has cornered a gap in the lawn care market and is making the most of this opportunity. We look forward to seeing what they do and where they go next.”
Me too.
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