Meet Denver Pawlson, the Chief Happiness Officer of this robotics start-up

Denver Pawlson, the Chief Happiness Officer of Harvested Robotics, on duty.
| Photo Credit:
(Sourced from Harvested Robotics post)

For dog lovers, it is all about getting happiness from the companionship of a dog, like Denver.

Harvested Robotics, a Hyderabad-based start-up that offers robotics solutions to help farmers with advanced robotic solutions to protect their crops from weeds, has just done this. They hired a Golden Retriever, Denver Pawlson, as its Chief Happiness Officer to make its employees feel happy all the time.

“Meet our newest hire, Denver – Chief Happiness Officer. He doesn’t code. He doesn’t care. He just shows up, steals hearts, and keeps the energy up. Also, we’re officially pet-friendly now. Best decision,” Rahul Arepaka, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Harvested Robotics, has said.

“By the way, he’s got the best perks in the company,” he said, sharing the picture of the newly-anointed CHO on LinkedIn.

And, pat comes the reply from Denver – Thanks – Rahul. Can I be CEO instead – Pawsible?

Mixed views

While a good number of his followers welcomed the move, some expressed their displeasure too.

“Using a dog as a PR tool in the workplace feels more like a distraction than a meaningful solution. A workplace should prioritise a respectful and low-stress environment for its employees not rely on animals for morale or entertainment,” a follower commented.

Harvested Robotics recently raised ₹5 crore in pre-seed funding, led by Arali Ventures and angel investors like Anand Mahindra and Chakradhar Gade.

“We’re redefining farming with AI-driven laser weeding—eliminating chemicals and replacing them with precision,” he said.

Published on May 29, 2025