Agtech startup Croptimistic has recently acquired CropPro Consulting, founded by longtime farmer and agronomist Cory Willness in 2003, and has raised $9.1 million in Series B funding from Forage Capital Partners. Croptimistic, founded in 2018 by the Willnesses and CTO Derek Massey, aims to help farmers automate field work through SWAT MAPS, a soil mapping technology providing farmers with high-resolution soil foundation maps for fertilizer, seed, soil amendment, herbicide, and precision water management. This acquisition is expected to expand the new entity’s market reach in agriculture.
Expanding Services and Market Reach with Funding
The $9.1 million will be used to expand Croptimistic’s software and increase its team size in its new office in Kelowna, British Columbia, while investing in continued research and development efforts. According to Massey, “by investing resources in our software, we’ll be able to continue to scale and grow our company to meet the needs of our farmers and service providers.” Croptimistic currently has over 67 company partners in four countries, with its strongest presence in the United States and Canada.
Helping Farmers with Precision Soil Management
Croptimistic’s SWAT MAPS technology is a game-changer for farmers looking to optimize crop yields while minimizing the use of resources. The system provides farmers with detailed soil data, including nutrient levels, moisture content, pH, and more, which helps in identifying the optimum crop for a given field and identifying which areas require more or less water, seed, and fertilizer. The system also allows farmers to track their yields in real-time, identify problem areas, and adjust accordingly. All of these factors help farmers to improve their crop yields while also reducing the use of resources.
Investing in Continued Research and Development
The $9.1 million in funding from Forage Capital Partners is expected to help Croptimistic to continue its research and development efforts, helping the startup to develop new soil and crop technologies. Last year, Croptimistic received $1.1 million in federally-backed Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network funding for a $5 million project aimed at developing new soil and crop technologies by bringing academic and on-farm researchers, industry players, and smart farm staff together.
Acquisition Expands Service Offerings
With the acquisition of CropPro Consulting, Croptimistic’s offerings will be expanded to include consulting services for agronomy. The consulting company provides consulting services for soil management and crop production, managing over one million acres of crop consulting and SWAT MAPS precision agronomy services. This acquisition is expected to help Croptimistic expand its services and market reach, providing a more comprehensive suite of offerings to farmers looking to optimize their crop yields.
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