Vancouver-based Semios, a provider of real-time crop data and pest management tools for growers of tree fruit, nuts, and other permanent crops, announced on Aug. 24 that it is acquiring Agworld, a data-driven farm management platform headquartered in Perth, Australia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Semios said the acquisition will form one of the largest independent ag-tech solutions providers in the world, with centralized crop management data from one dashboard serving growers, agronomists, and ag retailers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and South Africa.
“Through the acquisition of Agworld, Semios is furthering its commitment to simplifying the grower’s experience through leveraging technology to deliver critical insights,” said Dr. Michael Gilbert, CEO of Semios. “The true impact of our combined forces in the global agricultural industry will soon be realized through the increased velocity of our R&D efforts and getting new products to market, benefiting growers who are being tested by Mother Nature like never before.”
Gilbert said the two companies are closely aligned in values and culture, and offer complementary solutions to help growers manage risk and optimize yields. Semios was founded in 2010 and utilizes a network of sensors that provide more than 500 million data points measuring climate, soil moisture, and daily insect and disease activity. Founded in 2009, Agworld allows growers to track and share relevant field and reportable data with other farmers, advisors, and third parties.
“Empowering growers with data for better analysis, insight, and action is at the core of what we do,” said Doug Fitch, Agworld CEO. “The agricultural industry has long demanded the benefits of managing their crops from start to finish with a single solution, which is why I’m so excited about this next step of the journey for both Agworld and Semios together. The availability of important data to growers and their stakeholders for real-time decision-making through one platform is key to improving the sustainable performance of farming operations.”
Semios has been in a recent expansion mode. The company in June announced the acquisitions of Altrac, an agriculture automation software developer, and Centricity, developers of a suite of field data collection applications. Semios has been named to the Global Cleantech 100, an annual list of the 100 most innovative cleantech companies globally, and the Thrive Top 50, list of the 50 leading global AgTech companies.