Winnipeg Start-Up Acquired By AGCO

Winnipeg technology firm 151 Research Inc. has been acquired by global ag manufacterer AGCO.

 

151 Research’s first milestone success came in 2018 when GrainViz secured an exclusive partnership with AGCO to distribute its imaging technology. GrainViz gives growers and commercial operators advanced insight into the moisture content and conditions of the grain in their bins.

 

“In under five years, our team at 151 Research revolutionized the ag tech industry by transforming a technology first created for the bio-medical industry at the University of Manitoba into an award-winning post-harvest monitoring platform," said Dr. Paul Card, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of 151 Research Inc. “We’d like to particularly thank our partners in the Winnipeg tech and business industry as well as our academic experts who believed in our start-up and without whom we wouldn’t be here today.”

 

In the past 18 months, 151 Research grew from five to over 45 full-time employees.

 

“We believe this acquisition will help improve our customers’ operations through smarter technology,” said Stefan Caspari, AGCO Senior Vice President, General Manager, Grain and Protein. “We look forward to creating a connected experience across the entire grain system to further increase efficiency and profitability for our customers.”

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.