John Deere looks to accelerate their agriculture technology with an acquisition of
Blue River Technology, a tech firm developing smart machines for agriculture. Blue River has built technology that uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to detect, identify, and determine treatment of plants. For instance, it can distinguish subtle differences between cotton plants and weeds.
John May, CIO at Deere says they are confident that Blue River's machine learning, which has been proven in agricultural spraying equipment, can be used in the future on a wider range of products.
Blue River has designed and integrated computer vision and machine learning technology that will enable growers to reduce the use of herbicides by spraying only where weeds are present, optimizing the use of inputs in farming – a key objective of precision agriculture.
"We welcome the opportunity to work with a Blue River Technology team that is highly skilled and intensely dedicated to rapidly advancing the implementation of machine learning in agriculture. As a leader in precision agriculture, John Deere recognizes the importance of technology to our customers. Machine learning is an important capability for Deere's future."
-John May, President, Agricultural Solutions, and Chief Information Officer at Deere
"Blue River is advancing precision agriculture by moving farm management decisions from the field level to the plant level. We are using computer vision, robotics, and machine learning to help smart machines detect, identify, and make management decisions about every single plant in the field."
- Jorge Heraud, co-founder and CEO of Blue River Technology
Already in 2017, Blue River Technology has been listed among Inc. Magazine's 25 Most Disruptive Companies, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, CB Insights 100 Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies in the World, and the Top 50 Agricultural Innovations by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
Deere said it will invest $305 million to fully acquire Blue River Technology. Deere plans to have the 60-person firm remain in Sunnyvale, California with an objective to continue its growth and innovation with the same entrepreneurial spirit that has led to its success. The transaction is expected to close in September.
May said the investment in Blue River Technology is similar to Deere's acquisition of NavCom Technology in 1999 that established Deere as a leader in the use of GPS technology for agriculture and accelerated machine connectivity and optimization.
Learn more about Blue River's technology with this video: