Spensa Technologies Explained
Spensa Technologies was a private company based in the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana that specialized in precision agriculture. The company, founded in 2009, was known for its ag-related technology,[1] [2] including automated pest sensors and software. It was acquired in April 2018 by DTN.[3]
History
Spensa was founded on 16 January 2009 by Johnny Park, a computer engineering professor at Purdue University, whose research into robotics and computer vision in farming (supported by a $6.4M USDA grant) led to the creation of the company. With support from the National Science Foundation[4] and private investment,[5] [6] Spensa expanded its operations[7] and developed agriculture-related hardware and software products.
Spensa's principal hardware product was the Z-Trap, an automated electronic device that detects insects in a field and wirelessly reports its data. Its software consisted of both web-based and mobile applications, centered on the Spensa Agronomic Platform (AP), a subscription-based software.[8] [9]
Spensa was acquired in April 2018 by Minneapolis-based DTN,[10] [11] a company owned by TBG AG.
References
- Sorvino . Chloe . 18 June 2017 . The 25 Most Innovative Ag Tech Startups . . New York City . 2018-05-02 . They manufacture the 'Z-Trap,' a device that replaces the painstaking work of estimating pest populations by hand with real-time data. The Z-trap is capable of not only collecting bugs, but it zaps them with electricity in a way that allows the species of bug to be identified, making it much more efficient for farmers to control pests in their fields..
- News: Scoggins . Gary . 3 April 2018 . DTN acquires Spensa Technologies to offer customers a comprehensive solution . Biofuels Digest . 2018-05-02 . Spensa has built a reputation for its eco-friendly, innovative technologies to manage agronomic pests such as insects, weeds and disease. The company was named one of the top 25 innovative ag-tech startups by Forbes in 2017..
- . 4 April 2018 . DTN Acquired Spensa Technologies . DTN . Minneapolis . Spensa’s....
- News: . 6 June 2013 . Federal grants awarded to strengthen agriculture pest monitoring technology . Purdue University News . West Lafayette, Indiana . 2018-05-02 .
- Web site: Pest Detection Technology Company Spensa Tech Raises $2.5m Series A . Burwood-Taylor . Louisa . 9 November 2015 . AgFunder News . AgFunder . 2018-05-02 . Spensa Tech's core hardware product is the Z-Trap, an insect sensor which has been on the market for three years already..
- Web site: Spensa's Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control . Stevenson . Sarah Schmid . 3 January 2017 . Xconomy . 2018-05-02 . Spensa, which has about 45 employees working out of its headquarters in West Lafayette, IN, raised $2.5 million in a Series A round last year; investors include Elevate Ventures, Village Capital, and the Purdue Foundry..
- . 19 May 2015 . Agricultural Pest Management Company Expands in West Lafayette . Indiana Economic Development Corporation . Indianapolis .
- Knapp . Alex . 26 July 2016 . Technology Is Making Huge Changes In The World Of Agriculture . . New York City . 2018-05-02 . Its software lets farmers record, upload and track observations about their fields; its Z-Trap hardware allows farmers to track pests in the fields by trapping and identifying bug species. Ag Cred: Developed hardware with a National Science Foundation grant; has raised over $5 million in outside funding to date..
- Sorvino . Chloe . 1 February 2017 . Model predicts insect patterns . Agri-View . . 2018-05-02.
- News: Parker . Reed . 2 April 2018 . DTN Completes Spensa Acquisition . Inside Indiana Business . Indianapolis . 2018-05-02.
- Web site: DTN Set to Acquire Spensa, Continuing Trend of Farm Software Deals . Vinluan . Frank . 13 March 2018 . Xconomy . 2018-05-02 . Spensa Technologies, a startup that has developed sensors, software, and other products that give farmers insights about their operations, is now set to become part of global digital services company DTN..
