DLA Piper advises on Yamaha Motor’s acquisition of Robotics Plus

DLA Piper has advised global client Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Yamaha Motor) on its acquisition of Robotics Plus, a leading New Zealand-based agritech robotics company.

The transaction, signed in February 2025 and expected to complete by April 2025, will see Robotics Plus integrated into Yamaha Motor’s newly launched subsidiary, Yamaha Agriculture, Inc., which focuses on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions. The deal builds on Yamaha Motor's commitment to data-driven decision making and fortifies its long-term strategic vision and partnership with Robotics Plus having first invested in Robotics Plus in 2017.

DLA Piper’s New Zealand-based team was led by Martin Thomson (Partner) and Aoife O’Gorman (Special Counsel), with support from the broader multi-disciplinary full-strength team comprising David Johnston, Carl Blake, Michael Thompson, Justin March, Nick Valentine, Edward Eisdell-Moore, Nick Byrnes, Steph McQuaid, Max Kwan, Paul Park, Sophie Chan, and Max Smith.

Martin Thomson, senior corporate partner at DLA Piper in New Zealand, commented: “This acquisition underscores the strength of New Zealand’s agritech sector and its ability to attract global investment. We are proud to have supported our client with this milestone transaction, which not only celebrates Robotics Plus’s groundbreaking systems, like automated fruit packing machines and robotic systems, but also accelerates its global reach.”

Legal Manager for Yamaha Motor Ventures, Haruka Onishi, praised the team. “We are grateful to the DLA Piper team for providing excellent advice to Yamaha Motor on this highly complex cross-border transaction, contributing with business acumen and a good sense for progressing the transaction smoothly and successfully.”

The deal team managed all aspects of the transaction from term sheet stage, advising on deal structuring, M&A, tax, employment, real estate, tax and regulatory compliance. DLA Piper also guided the parties through New Zealand’s foreign investment framework, confirming that the transaction falls below the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) approval threshold. By ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations, the team enabled a streamlined transaction process, providing certainty on execution and timeline.

Aoife O’Gorman, special counsel, co-led the deal in New Zealand, also commended her international DLA Piper colleagues for their role. “It’s always a pleasure to showcase our truly global network and to work collaboratively with our international colleagues, to successfully execute the transaction and ensure a seamless negotiation process irrespective of time zones”, she says.

Aoife O’Gorman refers in particular to Richard Bull (Emerging Growth and Venture Capital, San Diego), David M. Clark (Corporate/M&A, San Diego), Kevin England (International Tax and Economists, San Diego), Paolo Morante (Antitrust, New York) and associate Nicholas Bolduc (Emerging Growth and Venture Capital, Raleigh).

Advancing agritech innovation

The acquisition is a significant step in the agritech industry, combining Yamaha’s global expertise with New Zealand’s innovation in robotics and automation.

The deal, which involved multi-jurisdictional coordination and complex technology assets, highlights New Zealand’s position as a hub for agritech innovation. It also reinforces DLA Piper’s expertise in cross-border M&A, particularly in emerging industries.

DLA Piper has also advised Yamaha Motor on its acquisition of electric marine propulsion manufacturer, Torqeedo Group as well as acquisition of the assets of The Yield Technology Solutions, an Australian startup providing digital agricultural solutions.