John Deere Announces 2026 Startup Collaborators

Five companies chosen for the John Deere Startup Collaborator Program to enhance customer solutions

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Deere & Company has announced the names of five companies selected for its 2026 Startup Collaborator Program. The program, launched in 2019, aims to deepen the company's interaction with startups whose technologies could add value for agricultural, construction, and roadbuilding customers.

Why it matters

The Startup Collaborator Program allows John Deere to work closely with emerging technology companies and integrate their innovations into practical solutions for customers across various industries. This collaboration helps Deere stay ahead of the curve and deliver the latest advancements in areas like real-time equipment monitoring, fleet optimization, precision agriculture, and autonomous robotics.

The details

The five companies participating in the 2026 Startup Collaborator Program are: AIRS ML, an edge AI company building on-device intelligence for real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance; IoTag, which delivers a patented telematics solution to optimize performance across mixed equipment fleets; resonAg, an Australian agritech company specializing in advanced soil sensing systems for precision agriculture; TorqueAGI, creating an AI foundation model for a new generation of autonomous enterprise robots; and Aerobotics, which uses drone and mobile imagery combined with computer vision and AI to help the fruit industry make smarter, more sustainable farming decisions.

  • The John Deere Startup Collaborator Program was launched in 2019.
  • Deere & Company announced the names of the 2026 Startup Collaborator participants on February 14, 2026.

The players

Deere & Company

A leading manufacturer of agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment, as well as a provider of advanced technology and services.

Wes Robinson

Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy at Deere & Company.

Colton Salyards

Principal of Corporate Development at John Deere.

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What they’re saying

“Through the Startup Collaborator Program, we're working with startups whose technologies address critical challenges across the various industries we serve. 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.”

— Wes Robinson, Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy (precisionfarmingdealer.com)

“The startups in our eighth Collaborator cohort bring complementary technologies that span monitoring, sensing, AI, robotics, and data driven insights. Through close collaboration, we're able to explore how these innovations can translate into practical benefits for customers in agriculture and construction.”

— Colton Salyards, Principal, Corporate Development (precisionfarmingdealer.com)

What’s next

The selected startups will work closely with John Deere over the next year to explore how their technologies can be integrated into practical solutions for Deere's agricultural, construction, and roadbuilding customers.

The takeaway

John Deere's Startup Collaborator Program demonstrates the company's commitment to innovation and its willingness to partner with emerging technology companies to deliver the latest advancements to its customers. This collaboration helps Deere stay at the forefront of precision, productivity, and sustainability in the industries it serves.