Scythe Robotics Raises $42M, Plans to Hire Dozens

The company develops autonomous mowers for professional landscaping.
Written by Abel Rodriguez
January 24, 2023Updated: January 26, 2023
Scythe Robotics founders and the M.52 mower.
Scythe Robotics co-founders and the company’s M.52 mower. | Photo: Scythe Robotics

Autonomous cars are becoming increasingly popular, and with their advancement, autonomous tech is making its way into other industries. Boulder County-based Scythe Robotics is introducing autonomous tech to the landscaping sector and recently secured new funding to bring this tech to more people and businesses.

Scythe Robotics develops the fully electric M.52 autonomous mower equipped with cameras and sensors. The M.52 system, which produces between 15 to 20 horsepower, uses much of the same tech found in self-driving cars and can detect and avoid obstacles while mowing a yard or field. It can also last an entire day on one charge.

“I had a lightbulb moment mowing my own lawn here in Colorado. I was bad at it, and I did not like doing it,” Jack Morrison, co-founder and CEO of Scythe, told Built In. “It just dawned on me that it was the perfect opportunity for automation.” 

On Tuesday, Scythe closed an oversubscribed $42 million Series B round that will help the company increase its headcount over the next few months. The round was led by Energy Impact Partners with participation from Amazon’s Alexa Fund and other new and existing partners.

The latest round brings Scythe’s total funding raised to $60.6 million. The company was founded in 2018 by Morrison, COO Isaac Roberts and Hardware Lead Davis Foster.

Despite being fully autonomous, Scythe says its mowers are best used in tandem with landscaping professionals and are not intended to replace them. 

Morrison said the robotic system was designed intentionally. After speaking with several landscapers and businesses, he realized autonomous mowers could help the industry overcome its worker shortage. According to Scythe, the M.52 unit can mow the lawn at a work site while workers complete other tasks like trimming bushes, planting trees or removing weeds. 

“We’re giving landscapers a tool that allows the people they already have on staff to do more and get more done with their existing teams,” Morrison said. “We never wanted to be a tool that was replacing or competing with the humans on staff. We want to let those people be their best, most creative selves and do work that isn’t just going back and forth in straight lines all day under the hot sun.”

With the funding, Scythe plans to make dozens of new hires to increase its current headcount of 50. The company told Built In it will hire for engineering, sales, customer support and several other tech roles. Many of the positions will be based at Scythe’s headquarters in Longmont with some open roles that are remote or hybrid. The company said it will also focus on hiring in Austin and growing its presence in that area.

With the funding and new talent, the company also plans to speed up the production of M.52 units to meet the demand of the 7,500 units already preordered by landscaping businesses.

Jobs at Scythe Robotics

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