What Happened To Shark Tank's Robin Autopilot Lawn Mowing Service?

In Season 9 of "Shark Tank," which first aired in 2017, viewers had the chance to see many clever products, including emergency bags, fidget spinners, and fingerprint padlocks. Many of these neat inventions went on to be funded, and some made a name for themselves. One company, owned by Bart Lomont and Justin Crandall from Dallas, Texas, hoped to change the way lawn care was handled. Their company was named Robin Autopilot, and focused on using a mix of robot mowers and human precision to make lawn care companies more reliable and efficient. Having several years of experience running the company before asking Shark Tank for investments, the duo thought that their solid plan would be enough to entice the team.

Unfortunately, their time at "Shark Tank" did not turn out as the company had hoped. They asked for a $500,000 investment in return for a 5 percent share of the company. Crandall and Lomont ended up without a backer. The sharks were hesitant to invest when they did not see much return for their investment and a heavy gamble. The sharks were worried the idea wouldn't catch on, especially when potential customers could just go and buy the exact same machines for a one-time payment (instead of renting them out). Of course, this was all only if robot lawn mowers were actually worth the cost. 

Robin Autopilot went back home without funding, but the owners weren't deterred. They worked hard to build up their brand themselves. While it seemed to be a growing business for a while, it appears the sharks were right in this case, with the company having gone radio silent in the last few years after switching hands and attempting partnerships several times. 

Since airing on "Shark Tank," Robin Autopilot has undergone quite a few changes. For a while, the owners tried to run the business as a franchise for somewhere between $55,000 and $109,000 to open each branch. Thanks to an investment from MTD Products, this seemed to help, with the company opening 15 franchises and gaining over 1,000 customers. Then, in 2019, the Fahey Group, run by Logan Fahey, ended up purchasing the company. The two founders stepped down, though they stayed on as advisors for a while. After the purchase, the headquarters moved to Cleveland. In 2020, Robin Autopilot even partnered with another lawn care company known as Turfbot Mowing. The two companies hoped to expand operations with the partnership.

Later, in 2021, Robin Autopilot acquired another mowing company called Mowbot and planned to partner with Husqvarna Group. The name changed to Robin Technologies. Unfortunately, dealings with the Husqvarna Group didn't work out, and partnerships dissolved sometime in 2023. After that, the business fell off the map. Though you can still find hints of it if you look around, there have been little to no updates for Robin Autopilot or Robin Technologies since 2023. Shadows and pieces of the company still exist if you look around. TurfBot and Mowbot continue to offer robot mowing services, but they are small and fairly localized.

There are a few other companies trying their own versions of a robot mower subscription service as well. For example, Navimow Flex is a program by Navimow to rent out its i Series Robot Mower. However, it includes other benefits, like a cover for the mower, premium app features, warranties, and replacement blades to really make it easy for the user so you don't have to know the signs that it's time to sharpen your lawn mower blades. Other companies have decided to include subscriptions in different ways rather than renting out the mowers themselves. Usually, this includes app benefits and premium upgrades. For example, MAMMOTION provides robot mowers for one flat price, but you can get anti-theft protections, app remote control, and live streaming for $20 a month. 

What has become more popular, however, is the individual purchase of robot lawn mowers.  Even based on Robin Autopilot's initial pricing, it's not surprising. At a minimum of $17 a week, it costs just under $900 for this service. However, when the company was purchased by the Fahey Group, the price rose to $19 a week, or $988 a year. These prices were just for basic mowing, though. If someone wanted lawn edging or additional maintenance done by a person, the price rose. While this might not have been the worst when robot lawn mowers were first coming out and costing several thousand dollars apiece, nowadays, these mowers are more affordable. Even a few decently rated ones cost right about $1,000. It makes sense to buy one yourself and do the work as needed, though you may want to consider buying a new lawn mower in the spring so you have plenty to choose from.