The deal highlights the strength of the country's agritech sector
Yamaha Motor has acquired agritech robotics company Robotics Plus with help from DLA Piper.
Robotics Plus will be incorporated into Yamaha Agriculture, Inc., a new Yamaha Motor subsidiary delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions.
“This acquisition underscores the strength of New Zealand’s agritech sector and its ability to attract global investment”, DLA Piper co-lead partner Martin Thomson said.
He added that the deal, which was signed last month and set for completion next month, would speed up Robotics Plus’ global expansion. In 2017, Yamaha Motor made its initial investment into Robotics Plus.
The DLA Piper handled all aspects of the cross-border deal, including term sheet stage, deal structuring, M&A, tax, employment, real estate, tax and regulatory compliance. It also helped the companies navigate the country’s foreign investment framework and confirmed that the deal was below the Overseas Investment Office approval threshold.
Thomson headed up the team alongside special counsel Aoife O’Gorman. They were supported by 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; also pitching in were 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).
