John Deere Selects 2026 Startup Innovators

Five tech firms join program to advance precision agriculture solutions

Deere & Company has announced five companies selected for its 2026 Startup Collaborator Program. The initiative, launched in 2019, strengthens partnerships with emerging technology firms whose solutions can benefit agriculture, construction, and roadbuilding customers. 

The program supports startups developing practical innovations that improve equipment performance, efficiency, and sustainability. Company leaders explained that working closely with technology developers helps accelerate real-world solutions. 

"Through the Startup Collaborator Program, we're working with startups whose technologies address critical challenges across the various industries we serve," said Wes Robinson, Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy.  

"From real-time equipment and fleet insights to advanced sensing, AI-driven robotics, and digital crop intelligence, these collaborations can help us move faster in delivering practical innovations that improve precision, productivity, and sustainability for our customers," said Robinson. 

The five companies selected for the 2026 cohort represent diverse areas of innovation: 

• AIRS ML develops edge AI systems that combine sensing and machine learning to provide real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance for industrial and mobility equipment. 

• IoTag provides a patented telematics platform that converts machine data into useful insights, helping agricultural and construction operators improve mixed fleet performance. 

• resonAg, based in Australia, adapts advanced sensing technologies from sectors such as medical and mining to create soil analysis systems that support precision agriculture decisions. 

• TorqueAGI is building an AI foundation model designed to power enterprise robots capable of real-world reasoning and greater autonomy. 

• Aerobotics supports fruit growers by using drone and mobile imagery with computer vision and AI to estimate yields and improve farm management decisions. 

Colton Salyards, Principal of Corporate Development, noted that the selected startups bring complementary technologies across monitoring, sensing, robotics, and data-driven insights. 

"The startups in our eighth Collaborator cohort bring complementary technologies that span monitoring, sensing, AI, robotics, and data-driven insights," said Colton Salyards, Principal, Corporate Development, John Deere. "Through close collaboration, we're able to explore how these innovations can translate into practical benefits for customers in agriculture and construction." 

Through collaboration, John Deere aims to deliver faster innovation that increases precision, boosts productivity, and supports sustainable practices across agriculture and construction industries. 

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