4 agtech startups join John Deere Startup Collaborator

The Startup Collaborator program in Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group was launched last year to enhance and deepen collaborative relationships with startup companies whose technology could add value for John Deere customers.

“The first year of the John Deere Startup Collaborator program showed us and the startups involved the tremendous mutual value of working closely together,” said Julian Sanchez, director of strategy and business development at Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group. “We‘re excited to continue building on the program’s success.”

The 4 startups are:

• DataFarm – A Brazilian company building digital tools to recommend climate-smart agricultural practices to optimise farmers’ return on investment
• FaunaPhotonics – A company from Denmark building technology for real-time pest detection to ensure sustainable crop management and improve tools for pest control.
• Fieldin – An Israeli company working on data management tools for specialty crops
• EarthSense – A company from Champaign, IL building novel sensing methods to improve in-field data collection

Test innovative technologies

The Startup Collaborator provides flexibility for Deere and startups to test innovative technologies with customers and dealers without a more formal business relationship. Startups also gain affiliation with and mentoring from a world-class leader in precision agriculture.

John Deere opened its new Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) facility in central Iowa last year. The 134,000 square-foot facility in Urbandale is devoted to problem solving with technology, collaboration, testing and development for John Deere precision products and services. – Photo: John Deere