John Deere announced a definitive agreement to acquire Silicon Valley startup Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million. Bear Flag developed autonomous driving systems compatible with existing farm equipment, and had already deployed its approach on a limited number of US farms.
The companies began working together through Deere’s Startup Collaborator programme in 2019. The announcement said Bear Flag’s team would remain in Silicon Valley and contribute expertise in perception, sensor fusion, software and hardware. Deere presented the transaction as a way to accelerate automation and address shortages of skilled operators during time-sensitive agricultural work.
