Gearbox
Enhancing growers, breeders and traders to work smarter every day.
Gearbox
What if the future of agriculture wasn’t just automated—but intelligent?
The story of Orange Wings
& Gearbox
At Orange Wings, we don’t just invest in businesses—we invest in people who challenge industries, rethink entire systems, and push through obstacles others shy away from. Gearbox is one of them.
“Why and how did you get into this?” people ask.
“Well, this is Westland,” Simone Keijzer says with a smile. “You grow up here, you work in the greenhouses as a student. And then this happens.”
Chapter 1
The origins
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Where it All
all begain
If you’re from Westland, agriculture isn’t a career path—it’s life. Everyone works in the greenhouses at some point. Simone and Johan both did, harvesting vegetables, moving crates—absorbing the rhythms of an industry that ran on experience, instinct, and manual labor. It’s part of growing up here. And it’s where Simone and Johan first crossed paths—two kids from the same village.
They left, as many do. Johan pursued robotics engineering, fascinated by machines that could solve human problems. Simone studied Communication & Multimedia Design, went to London to specialize in UX before UX had a name, learning how people interact with systems and technology.
They didn’t plan to start a company together. But life has a way of pulling you back to the places that shaped you.
“You’re flying around the world, not seeing each other. And here? Nothing was happening.”
Westland—the place that had sent them out—was stuck. The greenhouses they had worked in as kids still ran on manual labor, gut feeling, and outdated processes. Automation was happening elsewhere, but why wasn’t it happening here? In their own backyard?
“If we don’t do this now, we never will. And we’ll regret it.”
So they took the leap. Gearbox was born.
What started as a determined team tackling automation problems in agriculture has evolved into a game-changing force in digital workforce technology. Their journey hasn’t been easy—real impact never is—but their unrelenting drive has reshaped an industry in desperate need of change.
The problem
an industry on the edge
Agriculture isn’t just about growing food—it’s about precision, survival, and sustainability. Labor shortages, inefficiencies, and quality inconsistencies have long challenged growers, traders, and breeders. Global supply chains demand faster, smarter, more reliable solutions—yet the industry has been slow to adapt.
Gearbox saw the shift coming before most.
In 2016, Simone and Johan realized that AI, robotics, and data could revolutionize the way we grow, sort, and package food. Instead of following the beaten path, they decided to build a new one—creating the digital workforce of the future for agriculture.
“Agriculture isn’t just about growing food—it’s about precision, survival, and sustainability. ”
Chapter 2
The Leap
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 2
From consultants
to builders
At first, they did what they knew best—consulting, problem-solving, finding ways to inject AI and robotics into the industry. But billing by the hour wasn’t enough. They weren’t just engineers-for-hire. They saw the bigger shift coming—that agriculture needed more than patches. It needed a system, a workforce that wasn’t purely human, but digital.
Gearbox needed to own its own product. But that meant one thing: funding.
“We needed to stop working on other people’s ideas and start creating our own.”
They needed an investor. But not just anyone.
“We needed to stop working on other people’s ideas and start creating our own.”
Simone Keijzer
Founder
Finding the right partner:
enter Shawn Harris
By 2020, Gearbox had traction. They needed a strategic investor—not just money, but someone who understood their world. Investors came knocking. Some offered fast capital. Others had their own agendas. None of them felt right.
“Some wanted us to fit a mold. Others had their own agenda. None of them understood what we were actually trying to do.”
So they made an unconventional move: they rejected the easy money and picked up the phone.
They called Shawn Harris.
Shawn wasn’t on their original list. But she had something others didn’t: firsthand knowledge of agriculture. She had built Nature’s Pride into a European powerhouse. She knew exactly what it took to disrupt supply chains.
The connection was immediate. “We wanted an investor who would challenge us, not control us,” Simone remembers. “With Shawn, we knew from the first conversation—she wasn’t here to micromanage. She was here to push us forward.”
Chapter 3
The Flight
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
The Orange Wings effect:
fueling gearbox’s growth
With Orange Wings behind them, Gearbox moved faster, thought bigger, and built stronger. The investment wasn’t just capital—it was expertise, a network, and a relentless drive to win.
- They went from consultants to builders—fast.
- They expanded AI-driven grading, sorting, and quality control systems.
- They merged with Pliant, integrating world-class software expertise.
- They scaled from 18 to over 60 people, tripling capacity.
Gearbox wasn’t just optimizing labor. It was redefining quality, precision, and efficiency for an industry that had run on instinct for too long.
Chapter 4
The legacy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Bravery in action:
competing against giants
Agricultural automation is a competitive industry. Low-cost manufacturers in China flood the market with machines at a fraction of the price. Gearbox could never compete on cost. So they didn’t.
Instead, they focused on being smarter. Instead of racing to the bottom, they doubled down on precision, adaptability, and integration.
With Shawn’s backing, Gearbox positioned itself as the high-value alternative—not just machines, but systems that think. Their AI-powered solutions don’t just detect problems; they predict them.
Each innovation solved a real, pressing issue—bringing unprecedented control and efficiency to an industry that had relied on guesswork for too long. While others built machines, Gearbox built intelligence. “There will always be someone cheaper. So we decided to be smarter.” And it worked.
The impact?
- 40-90% fewer labor hours needed per sorting line depending on the system.
- 5–10% weight savings per package—growers stop giving away product for free.
- Fewer rejected shipments—growers keep more revenue, retailers get more consistency.
Better forecasting—because AI doesn’t just measure—it predicts and helps find the root of the problem in patterns.
“There will always be someone cheaper. So we decided to be smarter.”
Winning together:
a future built to last
Today, Gearbox is a market leader, shaping the future of agriculture with AI, robotics, and vision technology.
Their systems don’t just automate—they think, adapt, and improve. Their clients don’t just save money—they make better decisions, run smarter businesses, and future-proof their operations.
Bravery pays
At Orange Wings, we don’t invest in comfort. We invest in people who build them.
Gearbox is proof that when you back smart, bold, relentless founders, you don’t just grow a company—you change an industry.
Because bravery isn’t optional. It’s essential.
And when you back the right people, it pays.
To be continued