John Deere acquires Indy agtech company
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Illinois-based Deere & Co. has acquired an Indianapolis-based agtech startup. Financial terms of the deal for Smart Apply Inc., which has developed a precision sprayer for orchards and vineyards, are not being disclosed.
Smart Apply’s Intelligent Spray Control System, was created to improve the efficiency of traditional air-blast sprayers used in orchards, vineyards and tree nurseries. The system uses LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, to pinpoint when and where to spray the chemicals instead of just spraying in a continuous plume.
Smart Apply says its sprayer can help achieve 93% less chemical runoff and up to an 87% reduction in airborne drift. The system also reduces chemical usage by an average of 50%.
The company’s software also captures a variety of data, including time of spraying, overall spray volumes, tree counts, and health of individual trees or vines.
John Deere has worked with Smart Apply since 2020, and Director of Small Tractor & HVC Production System Mike Bailey said the acquisition is a natural progression of that working relationship.
“It’s a continuation of our commitment to high-value crop customers and dealers, further expanding a portfolio of solutions to help growers address their biggest challenges around labor, input costs, and regulatory requirements, and achieve environmental goals,” Bailey said in a news release.
The acquisition comes less than a year after Smart Apply completed a $3 million seed round of funding.
Smart Apply currently has 20 full-time employees, and Deere said there have been no decisions made regarding any impact on jobs.
The company’s system is primarily sold through John Deere dealers in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and England. Deere said it plans to offer Smart Apply throughout much of its dealer network in North America and Australia and will be exploring additional opportunities in new markets.