This is a strategic channel deal disguised as a funding round, because Kubota is buying go-to-market leverage as much as it is backing Kilter’s tech.
Norway-based Kilter has raised EUR 6.5 million in a pre-Series B funding round led by Kubota Corporation, alongside SBG Invest, Pymwymic, Nufarm, Halden Pensjonskasse, ProAgInvest and Natural Ventures. The company said the capital will support international expansion and continued technology development as it prepares for a future Series B.
The centre of gravity is Kubota’s commercial plan. Kubota’s Smart Farming Solutions Division, launched in 2024, is integrating Kilter’s AX-1 robot into its broader farm solutions portfolio. Kubota Europe is also training sales staff and building the product into its offering, signalling that the Japanese OEM wants the robot to move beyond pilot status and into a repeatable sales motion.
From pilots to dealer networks
Kilter’s proposition is autonomous precision weeding aimed at reducing chemical use and labour pressure. In 2025 testing, farmers in Germany and the Netherlands reported their fields were kept clean in pilot programmes, supporting demand in two of Europe’s most commercially important vegetable markets. Farmers also reported up to 90% savings on herbicides, a direct response to two structural pressures: weed resistance and a shrinking set of viable herbicide options across Europe.
Kubota and Kilter are partnering to co-develop, pilot and promote the AX-1 across Europe, initially targeting vegetable growers in Germany and the Netherlands. A distribution partnership is expected to roll out the AX-1 through Kubota dealer networks in those countries in 2026.
The product design supports the strategy. Kilter says the AX-1 has a modular design that fits existing tramline systems, making it easier to slot into established farm operations and align with Kubota’s equipment ecosystem. For growers, compatibility and uptime tend to matter as much as headline performance, particularly when robotics must work inside tight planting and cultivation schedules.
Why this round matters
For Kilter, the funding provides the runway to convert successful pilots into scaled deployments, while continuing development to meet the reliability and serviceability standards expected in mainstream farm equipment channels.
For Kubota, the logic is equally clear: rather than treating robotics as an optional add-on, it is positioning autonomous weeding inside a broader smart farming package. Leading the round gives Kubota influence over product direction and commercial execution, while reducing the risk that a critical capability ends up with a competitor’s dealership footprint.
The syndicate also brings validation. Nufarm participated as an existing investor, reinforcing continuity and signalling that the agronomy and crop protection ecosystem sees precision weeding as complementary to, not simply a replacement for, existing inputs.
Execution risks to watch
The opportunity is real, but scale-up will test operational maturity. Moving from pilots to dealer-led sales requires robust training, spare parts availability and field service processes. Robotics in agriculture can fail on mundane issues: sensor calibration, dust and moisture tolerance, and maintenance cycles. Kilter and Kubota will need to prove that the AX-1 can deliver consistent performance across farm conditions, not just controlled deployments.
There is also adoption risk. Even with herbicide constraints, growers will scrutinise total economics, including financing, utilisation rates and the cost of downtime during peak periods. The 2026 dealer rollout in Germany and the Netherlands will be the first clear read on whether Kilter can translate strong pilot feedback into repeat orders.
Still, the structure of this round points in one direction: Kilter is not only raising capital, it is locking in a route to market. In European ag robotics, distribution is often the bottleneck. Kubota is trying to remove it.