John Deere To Acquire Bear Flag Robotics for $250 Million
Bear Flag Robotics, a California-based startup founded in 2017, will be acquired by John Deere for $250 million.
This acquisition builds on John Deere’s strategy, and Deere's Dan Leibfried says this is "the next step in the journey of precision ag technology. And it's a move into autonomy in a very big way."
The startup focuses in building retrofit systems to use its patented artificial intelligence for fully autonomous tractors. The company says its technology deploys 360° situational awareness as well as monitors implements, tractor health and the external environment. Bear Flag systems are currently being used by "a handful of farmers" for primary tillage functions.
“Deere views autonomy as an important step forward in enabling farmers to leverage their resources strategically to feed the world and create more sustainable and profitable operations,” Jahmy Hindman, Chief Technology Officer at John Deere said in the company’s announcement. “Bear Flag’s team of talented agriculture professionals, engineers and technologists have a proven ability to deliver advanced technology solutions to market. Joining that expertise and experience with Deere’s expertise in autonomy, along with our world-class dealer channel, will accelerate the delivery of solutions to farmers that address the immense challenge of feeding a growing world.”
Bear Flag was a participant in John Deere’s Startup Collaborator program since 2019. This included meetings with John Deere tillage team to learn how they could improve the tillage passes in the field with autonomy.
“One of the biggest challenges farmers face today is the availability of skilled labor to execute time-sensitive operations that impact farming outcomes. Autonomy offers a safe and productive alternative to address that challenge head on,” Igino Cafiero, co-founder and CEO of Bear Flag Robotics said in the John Deere announcement. “Bear Flag’s mission to increase global food production and reduce the cost of growing food through machine automation is aligned with Deere’s and we’re excited to join the Deere team to bring autonomy to more farms.”
In 2017, John Deere made another Silicon Valley startup acquisition focusing on artificial intelligence when it agreed to buy Blue River Technology for $305 million.
When asked about the two artificial intelligence acquisitions, Leibfried says, "It's a recognition that the space is rapidly evolving, and that John Deere, while we have tons and tons of capability in the precision technology and precision ag space the reality is we need more. And we need a lot more ultimately in order to accelerate. It was our recognition four years ago this fall with Blue River and the opportunity space around See and Spray and what artificial intelligence could do to manage at the plant level. And this is a recognition that autonomy is another step in that that long journey of customer value."
