Niqo RoboWeeder & Niqo Sense AI Spot Spraying

Niqo Robotics was incorporated in 2015 as Tartan Sense and rebranded in 2022. Headquartered in Bengaluru, India, it builds AI-powered robots that let growers apply herbicides, thinning chemicals and beneficials only where plants need them, reducing chemical costs and hand labour. It launched RoboSpray in India in 2023 and passed 180,000 acres of spot spraying in 2025.

Niqo Sense is a proprietary edge AI camera that retrofits onto existing sprayers and identifies crops and weeds without cloud connectivity, with claimed accuracy above 99%. Niqo RoboWeeder is a tractor-mounted implement that weeds, thins and sprays beneficials in one pass at 4.5 mph, using three tanks and twin nozzles. Operators select jobs on the Niqo View in-cab screen and monitor fleets in the Niqo Track online dashboard. The robot is sold in California and Arizona through dealer Axis Ag and is tested on lettuce, with onions, tomatoes, broccoli and melons in expansion.

• Niqo Sense camera: edge AI vision that sees, selects and spot sprays precise agrochemical doses.
• Three jobs in one pass: weeding, thinning and beneficial spraying with three tanks and twin nozzles.
• Field speed: operates at 4.5 mph and targets weeds as small as 1 inch.
• Niqo View: in-cab touchscreen for selecting operations.
• Niqo Track: online dashboard to monitor fleets and spraying across fields.
• Tractor compatibility: fits CAT II 3-point hitch tractors of 50 hp with 6-bed or 3-bed layouts.

Large lettuce, onion and vegetable farms in Lam Dong can use RoboWeeder for weeding and thinning in a single pass. Agrochemical distributors can bundle Niqo Sense retrofits with spraying services to reduce product waste. Export farms supplying markets with strict residue limits can document reduced chemical use.

Weeding, thinning and beneficial spraying happen in a single AI-guided pass, cutting tractor passes and crew hours. Spot application only on targeted plants lowers chemical use and cost. Niqo states the RoboWeeder pays back within 2,200 acres and is sold as a one-time purchase without recurring fees. Niqo Sense retrofits existing equipment, so growers can adopt spot spraying without buying a new sprayer.

Rising labour costs, herbicide resistance and stricter residue rules are pushing vegetable growers toward precision weeding and spot spraying. In Vietnam and Southeast Asia, export vegetable and specialty crop farms face similar residue requirements and labour shortages, and an Indian-built system designed for cost-sensitive markets can be relevant to the region.

Incorporated in 2015 as Tartan Sense and rebranded as Niqo Robotics in 2022; headquarters in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, India. Raised seed (2019), Series A (2021) and Series B (2024) funding from investors including Omnivore, Blume Ventures, Beenext, Fulcrum Global Capital, Bidra and FMC Corporation. US dealer: Axis Ag Inc.