From its LTE-connected autonomous tractors to 5G private networks in its factories to its advocacy for rural broadband funding, farm equipment maker John Deere is a prime example of an enterprise that is leveraging advanced cellular technologies. But cellular is just one part of a much bigger technology picture for John Deere.
Three years ago the company created its Startup Collaborator, a year-long program the company describes as a way to “test innovative technologies with customers and dealers without a more formal business relationship." This fall Deere partnered with the Austin Technology Incubator to host a startup competition, offering a spot in the program to the winner. The competition was part of a GroundBreakers event held to inaugurate Deere's new Austin office.
On September 15, the 10 chosen startups pitched three judges from John Deere, in front of a live audience from the University of Texas and the local business community. Entrants included a firm using ammonia for clean energy, a developer of collaborative robots (cobots) who learn from one another, and two startups using drones to spray crops.
The winner of the competition was Albedo, which is planning to launch 24 Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites to capture high resolution images of farms and crops. The 21-person startup says it won’t launch its first bird until 2024, but Deere is willing to wait.
Mark Fincham, new business model lead at Deere, said he and the other judges were looking for firms that had “a strategic fit with Deere.” Deere has been working with satellites for more than 20 years through its Starfire network, which helps farmers use satellite-generated location data for precision agriculture. Deere’s autonomous tractor uses GPS positioning via the StarFire Network, which the company says is capable of real-time accuracy to within a quarter of an inch.
VLEOs are a new type of satellite. Science Direct defines VLEOs as satellites that will orbit less than 450 kilometers above the earth. (Low earth orbit satellites (LEOs) can orbit up to 2,000 kilometers above the earth’s surface). VLEOs will use lightweight electric thrusters to help them maintain their orbit despite the stronger gravitational pull at the lower altitudes. They will be able to capture more precise images than other satellites at higher orbits. They are also expected to create less “space debris” because their relatively low altitudes will enable them to re-enter the atmosphere and disintegrate when their work is done.
In addition to VLEO startup Albedo, the judges at the GroundBreakers event recognized two other companies as runners-up: Susterco and Intelliculture. Susterco is a spectroscopy startup using cameras to measure carbon levels in soil. Intelliculture sells a wireless device farmers put on their tractor to monitor how the machine is performing and what it is doing. Intelliculture also provides cloud-based analytics, so farmers can get actionable data about their fields and tractors, viewable in a mobile app.
During the event, Deere also showcased two agtech startups, which have become part of the company. In 2017, Deere bought Blue River Technology for $305 million. Blue River makes small robots that ride on tractors, recognize crops, and spray them with herbicide.
In 2021, Deere acquired Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million. Bear Flag Robotics, which entered Deere’s Startup Collaborator in 2019, helped Deere make its tractors more autonomous. The tractors are now able to till the fields without a human in the cab, although Deere notes that they cannot yet plant or fertilize autonomously.