Having grown up on a citrus farm, James Paterson is well versed in the challenges tree-crop farmers face. But when he met Benji Meltzer on a mechatronics course at UCT, the spark for a new business was ignited. Post-graduation, Paterson went to MIT in Boston to complete his Master’s in astro-aeronautics, while Meltzer completed his Master’s in data science at Imperial College London.

Upon their return to SA, the pair wanted to do something together that could utilise both of their areas of expertise and potentially help the Paterson family farm and others like it.