Scythe Robotics Passes 5,000 Reservations for Autonomous Mower
May 24, 2022
Scythe Robotics, which develops commercial-grade autonomous systems for landscapers, has announced it surpassed 5,000 reservations for its Scythe M.52, an all-electric, fully autonomous mower.
Founded in 2018, Scythe is aiming to transform the commercial landscaping industry, which continues to struggle with labor shortages yet has not seen substantial technological innovation in decades. The demand for its M.52 includes several businesses that include $1 million to hundreds of millions in annual revenue, the company said.
“We are on a massive trajectory for growth,” said Jack Morrison, co-founder and CEO of Scythe Robotics. “In the few short months since we announced our Series A, we have seen interest surpassing what we had imagined with a multi-year pipeline of reservation demand. Our mower, currently fielded in three states, solves labor shortages that have persisted for years and increases the productivity of landscaping crews. This all comes with the environmental benefits of zero emissions and quieter mowing, which is very important to landscapers who play a crucial role as caretakers for outdoor environments.”
Scythe said the M.52 aims to double the productivity of landscaping crews while eliminating their emissions from mowing entirely – a gas-powered mower for one hour is equivalent to driving a car more than 300 miles. The M.52 features a sensor suite that allows it to operate safely in dynamic environments by identifying and responding to the presence of humans, animals, and other potential obstacles. It also captures data round the property and mower performance, which helps landscape contractors improve workflow, identify upsell opportunities, schedule more efficiently and manage labor costs.
The company also announced the hiring of Brian Merkel as head of manufacturing, and Jen Mongeois as head of talent acquisition. Merkel was formerly a head of manufacturing and production for SpaceX Starlink, and Mongeois brings more than 20 years of expertise in recruiting for technical and non-technical roles across hardware, software, and field operations.
For additional information on Scythe Robotics and its M.52 mower, visit its website here.
