Scythe Robotics Surpasses 5,000 Reservations for M.52 Mower, Makes New Hires
Scythe Robotics has announced that it has surpassed 5,000 reservations for its all-electric, fully autonomous mower, Scythe M.52.
In addition, Scythe has announced the appointments of Brian Merkel, formerly a head of manufacturing and production for SpaceX Starlink, as the company’s head of manufacturing, and Jen Mongeois, former Magic Leap lead recruiter, as head of talent acquisition.
“We are on a massive trajectory for growth,” says Jack Morrison, co-founder and CEO of Scythe. “In the few short months since we announced our Series A, we have seen interest surpassing what we had imagined with a multi-year pipeline of reservation demand. Our mower, currently fielded in three states, solves labor shortages that have persisted for years and increases the productivity of landscaping crews. This all comes with the environmental benefits of zero emissions and quieter mowing, which is very important to landscapers who play a crucial role as caretakers for outdoor environments.”
To meet demand for the Scythe M.52 mower, the company notes, Brian Merkel brings extensive experience scaling production of manufacturing for SpaceX Starlink to his role as head of manufacturing at Scythe: “During his time at SpaceX, he built and scaled a manufacturing organization of over 200 production associates, maintenance personnel and supporting staff that produced 5,000-10,000 dishes a week in its first year of operation. Brian also managed test engineering for crew and cargo Dragon capsules and served as a lead manufacturing engineer on the Merlin rocket engines and the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles.”
“The success of Scythe’s committed reservations count showcases the pent-up demand for this technology in the landscaping industry and demonstrates M.52’s ability to solve contractors’ labor pains,” says Merkel. “These landscaping businesses are eager to transform their operations with our technology. I’m thrilled to leverage my experience to quickly scale production and help support Scythe’s important mission as we bring resources, sustainability and greater productivity to the green industry.”
As head of talent acquisition, Jen Mongeois brings her more than 20 years of expertise in recruiting for technical and non-technical roles across hardware, software and field operations to Scythe. Her addition further advances Scythe’s cross-functional culture and collaborative approach to product design. Among her prior roles, Mongeois was lead recruiter at Magic Leap, an enterprise AR technology company, where she hired over 500 employees in five years.
SCYTHE ROBOTICS
https://scytherobotics.com
