PRESS RELEASE

Kubota Invests in UV Boosting, a French company and the Leader in overall plant care using unique UV-C stimulation

October 24, 2024 Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands

Kubota Corporation (Head Office: Naniwa-Ku, Osaka, Japan; President and Representative Director: Yuichi Kitao; hereinafter “Kubota”) has invested in a ‘Series A’ venture funding investment round, raising a total amount of €6.9M with multiple investors, for UV Boosting (hereafter “UV Boosting”), which offers a sustainable and innovative UV light solution to stimulate the crop defense mechanisms in trees, plants and crops against pathogens and stresses.

UV Boosting stimulating plant natural defenses through so-called UV-C ‘flashes’

With this investment in UV Boosting, Kubota is extending and broadening its scope into alternative crop protection solutions and with that has taken another step to accelerate its innovation strategy with the objective of creating new technology and business opportunities. The first aim and focus is to collaborate with UV Boosting on sustainable solutions for the viticulture industry. The industry is facing global issues such as environmental regulations, climate impacts like droughts, and labour shortages. The Kubota Group is intending to expand its community-focused business operations in order to solve these issues by delivering integrated and collaborative solutions, technological advancements and unique customer value across all segments of its business.

UV Boosting, founded in 2017 in France, offers a unique patented solution in their products for stimulating plant natural defenses through so-called UV-C ‘flashes’. The high energy flashes trigger a defense mechanism in plants, making them more resistant to pathogens even before their appearance. By enhancing the plant defenses, UV Boosting aims to reduce the reliance on fungicides and minimize damage caused by pathogens or other abiotic stresses like e.g. droughts. UV Boosting’s sustainability goals encompass minimizing chemical inputs, preserving the environment, and promoting sustainable farming practices through their technology fitting perfectly with Kubota’s sustainability goals.

The strategic positioning of Kubota as a leader in the global agriculture and equipment manufacturing, together with UV Boosting, will accelerate these new technologies in crop protection and extend the business into additional product sales complementary to e.g. sprayers and other crop protection machines. This is a clear strategic step for Kubota to become an even broader provider of implements for crop protection, starting in the vineyards industry and extending step by step into other crops like orchards and turf/greens.

In 2019 Kubota established ‘Innovation Centers’ in Japan and Europe, and later in 2021 in the US, as a division for the creation of new business ventures, products and services. This division creates an eco-system which allows innovation to evolve through partnerships with external businesses such as AgTech start-ups, agricultural producers, research institutes and universities.

“With the investment in UV Boosting, Kubota is taking a new step in extending its innovative product portfolio offering towards more sustainable crop protection methods. For example in Europe winemakers are shifting to organic practices, focusing on soil health and minimizing chemical inputs to produce eco-friendly wines, yet also trying to maintain healthy vine trees with respect to fungal diseases, droughts and frost damage. UV Boosting’s unique UV-C Flash technology is crop agnostic and the implement portfolio can be easily extended into other crops. We’re looking forward to collaborate and to bring growers new environmental friendly solutions.” explains Peter van der Vlugt, General Manager of the Innovation Center Europe.

“Kubota’s investment in UV Boosting is a great satisfaction for UV Boosting’s team and myself. We are looking forward to exploring both commercial and technical collaboration opportunities with Kubota in the coming years. Partnering with a leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment is a considerable asset to build UV Boosting’s development and success” says Baptiste Rouesné, CEO of UV Boosting.

About UV Boosting

UV Boosting, founded in 2017 in France within Technofounders startup studio, offers implements that utilize UV-C light panels to better protect the growers’ crops in an environmentally-friendly solution supporting growers with reducing fungal pressure and limit yield losses due to diseases and other stresses like droughts or frost in a clean and residue-free way. The Helios implements can be easily mounted on standard (narrow) tractors and straddle tractors for application in vineyards. UV Boosting has also developed equipment for turf and strawberry growers, and keeps developing its product range for new crops. The company develops, manufactures and sells the implements through an own distribution network, aiming to increase sales in distribution in the next years. In the last investment round (Series A), a total amount of €6.9M with multiple investors was raised.

About Kubota

About Kubota

Since its founding in 1890, the Kubota Group has been working to solve social issues through superior products, technologies, and services in the areas of food, water, and the environment. We operate in more than 120 countries around the world, providing solutions to enhance the productivity and safety of food , promote the circulation of water resources and waste, and improve urban and living environments. Under our brand statement “For Earth, For Life,” we promise to continue supporting the prosperous life of humans while protecting the environment of this beautiful earth. For more information on the Kubota group, please visit: https://www.kubota.com/.

Our Brand Statement

Our Brand Statement, “For Earth, For Life,” speaks of our commitment to the preservation of the Earth’s natural environment while aiding the production of food and water supplies that are vital to societal needs as our world population continues to grow. That mission is realized each time a Kubota tractor harvests the land to produce life-sustaining food or our construction equipment excavates to transport water resources or provide shelter. For more information on Kubota, please visit www.kubota-global.net or www.kubota-eu.com.