By Agroempresario.com

Vancouver-based farm data analytics and precision ag company Almanac has acquired the intellectual property (IP) and assets of Gro Intelligence, an ag intelligence platform that shut down earlier this year after financial difficulties.

Almanac, previously known as Semios, has been strengthening its core crop management platform through strategic acquisitions over the past few years, including farm management software company Agworld, ag automation software company Altrac, and field data collection tech company Centricity.

Currently, Almanac delivers real-time climate, pest, and water data through a vast network of over 500,000 sensors that gather live data on weather, soil moisture, insect activity, and disease presence across customer farms. Gro Intelligence’s assets and AI models will complement these existing services by adding publicly available data sets, enhancing the insights Almanac offers, CEO Sumer Johal told AgFunderNews.

Bringing Public Data to Private Networks

“Globally, we have a massive footprint of over 130 million acres across two continents,” said Johal, who assumed the CEO role at Almanac in October 2023. “Our primary stakeholders in the agricultural sector have been using our private data sets for planning, compliance, pest management, fertilization, and other key decisions, along with our IoT networks that provide real-time actionable insights for pest and disease pressure, water management, and other agricultural needs."

“The addition of Gro Intelligence’s assets gives us access to publicly available agronomic data that we can layer on top of our private data sets to provide even more value to the same stakeholders.”

Johal emphasized that the acquisition of Gro’s assets through an auction means Almanac now owns the brand, data sets, customer contacts, and other relevant assets without assuming any liabilities. The company’s first priority is integrating Gro's resources into existing use cases for their current customer base. However, they also plan to explore opportunities in agriculture finance, insurance, food security, and supply chain management, which were Gro’s major areas of focus with clients like Unilever.

Strategic Integration for Better Customer Solutions

“We didn’t acquire Gro for its customer base,” Johal explained. “We acquired it for its data sets and how they can benefit our existing customers. But we’re also working to re-engage Gro’s former clients who want to re-activate the value they were getting from Gro’s platform.”

This acquisition marks a significant leap for Almanac in its mission to transform agricultural practices using advanced technology. By integrating Gro’s AI-powered data platform, Almanac aims to provide more actionable insights across the global agricultural sector, ultimately driving sustainability and enhancing productivity for farmers everywhere.

Integrating Data to Create Value

According to Johal, for the data to be truly valuable, it must be integrated into stakeholders' systems and be actionable. “Public data is difficult to obtain, and once you have it, it often doesn’t fit well with existing platforms. Private data sets are often housed in separate systems, which leads to disjointed user experiences.”

Almanac’s platform solves this problem by offering a unified experience where private data sets can be layered with Gro’s treasure trove of public data to provide additional insights. The company has a paying customer base covering over 130 million acres across two continents.

“We’re focusing on creating value for our customers by combining private data with Gro’s public data and models, giving stakeholders the most relevant and actionable insights possible,” Johal said.

Rebranding for Clarity and Simplicity

A few months ago, Semios rebranded as Almanac to simplify its customer’s understanding of the company’s offerings. “Customers were confused about the other brands we had acquired,” said Johal, who also leads AgStack at The Linux Foundation, an open-source digital infrastructure for food and agriculture. “By rebranding to Almanac, we aim to unify and clarify the value we create at scale.”

Regional Expansion and Future Growth

Almanac’s primary focus remains on North America and Australia, though the company is experiencing early growth in Europe and parts of Africa. Johal sees potential for future expansion into South America, Asia, and India, depending on opportunities in those regions.

“We serve a wide variety of customers, including growers, advisors, agriculture companies, input providers, seed suppliers, and water companies. We’re not yet focused on supply chain dynamics, but this is an exciting area of future growth for us,” Johal concluded.

About Gro Intelligence

Founded in 2012 by energy commodities trader Sara Menker, Gro Intelligence was an AI-powered insights platform offering decision-making tools and analytics to a wide range of clients, including food and agricultural companies, governments, insurers, and universities. The company utilized satellite imagery, weather data, and government sources to predict crop yields and provide actionable insights on agriculture, climate, and supply chains.

While Gro’s product was well-regarded, sources suggest the company struggled with its sales strategy. Nonetheless, Almanac’s acquisition of Gro’s data and AI models represents a promising future for the integration of more comprehensive data-driven solutions in agriculture.