French robot manufacturer Naïo Technologies in financial trouble, seeks buyer
The French manufacturer of autonomous agricultural robots, Naïo Technologies, is in financial trouble. The company has been placed under court supervision and hopes to find a buyer by 27 June at the latest in order to continue its operations.
Naïo Technologies, based in Escalquens in the south of France, achieved a turnover of €2.4 million in 2024. Nevertheless, according to the French news platform Farm Connexion, the company recently encountered financial problems. It currently employs 53 people and is actively seeking a buyer to safeguard both jobs and the technology.
Wine industry crisis and a downturn in the mechanisation sector
The financial difficulties are partly due to a sharp decline in demand for agricultural machinery. In addition, the ongoing crisis in the wine industry is playing a major role. This sector is particularly important for Naïo, which serves a significant proportion of its clients there.t.
Autonomous robots for agriculture and vegetable cultivation
Naïo Technologies specialises in the development and manufacture of autonomous robots used for tasks such as weed control. The product range includes the compact Oz, designed for small-scale farming, and the larger models Jo, Dino and Orio, which are used on larger fields and in vegetable production. The robots are GPS-guided and can operate fully autonomously
Abemec is the importer for the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Naïo robots were supplied by Reesink Agri until the end of 2018. Since March 2019, Abemec has been responsible for the import and distribution of Naïo robots. The company supplies the autonomous machines to customers in sectors including horticulture and greenhouse cultivation.
Nard Savelkouls, arable farming product manager at Abemec, confirms that Naïo Technologies has been put up for sale by a French court. “In the Netherlands, around twenty agricultural robots of the Oz and Orio models are currently operational,” he says. Savelkouls expects a buyer to come forward, thanks in part to the technical expertise within the Naïo team.
