MOLINE, IL - The relationship between agriculture and technology has never been stronger, and many are capitalizing on this unique opportunity to maximize efficiency and be better to the earth. Bear Flag Robotics is one operator working to bring AI-powered driving tech to fresh produce fields, and was recently acquired by Deere & Company for $250 million. The deal is set to accelerate the development of automation on the farm and will support John Deere's long-term strategy to create smarter machines and customized options for its partners.

"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," said Jahmy Hindman, Chief Technology Officer at John Deere. "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."

Deere first started working with Bear Flag in 2019, a press release stated, as part of the company's Startup Collaborator program, which focuses on enhancing work with startup companies. Since the launch of this alliance, Bear Flag has successfully deployed its autonomous solution on multiple farms in the U.S.

The Bear Flag team consists of agriculture professionals, engineers, and technology experts focused on autonomy, sensor fusion, vision, data, software, and hardware. The team will remain in Silicon Valley and work closely with Deere to accelerate innovation and autonomy for customers across the world.

"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," said Igino Cafiero, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bear Flag Robotics. "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."

Dan Leibfried, Director of Automation and Autonomy at Deere, also commented on this exciting acquisition.

"Deere and Bear Flag are highly complementary from both a technology and mission perspective," said Leibfried. "We look forward to working even closer together with the ultimate goal of helping farmers achieve the best possible outcomes through advanced technology like autonomy."

What can we expect next from these tech trailblazers? ANUK will be sure to keep you in the know.

Deere & Company Bear Flag Robotics