Spensa Technologies

40°27′53″N 86°55′38″W / 40.4647°N 86.9273°W / 40.4647; -86.9273

Spensa Technologies
Company typePrivate
IndustryPrecision agriculture
FoundedJanuary 16, 2009; 15 years ago (2009-01-16) in West Lafayette, Indiana
FounderJohnny Park
HeadquartersWest Lafayette, Indiana
Key people
Johnny Park, CEO
ProductsSpensa AP, Z-Trap
OwnerDTN
Number of employees
30 (2018)
Websitespensatech.com

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

  1. ^ Sorvino, Chloe (18 June 2017). "The 25 Most Innovative Ag Tech Startups". Forbes. New York City. Retrieved 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.
  2. ^ Scoggins, Gary (3 April 2018). "DTN acquires Spensa Technologies to offer customers a comprehensive solution". Biofuels Digest. Retrieved 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.
  3. ^ "DTN Acquired Spensa Technologies" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 4 April 2018. Spensa's...
  4. ^ "Federal grants awarded to strengthen agriculture pest monitoring technology". Purdue University News. West Lafayette, Indiana. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  5. ^ Burwood-Taylor, Louisa (9 November 2015). "Pest Detection Technology Company Spensa Tech Raises $2.5m Series A". AgFunder News. AgFunder. Retrieved 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.
  6. ^ Stevenson, Sarah Schmid (3 January 2017). "Spensa's Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control". Xconomy. Retrieved 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.
  7. ^ "Agricultural Pest Management Company Expands in West Lafayette" (Press release). Indianapolis: Indiana Economic Development Corporation. 19 May 2015.
  8. ^ Knapp, Alex (26 July 2016). "Technology Is Making Huge Changes In The World Of Agriculture". Forbes. New York City. Retrieved 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.
  9. ^ Sorvino, Chloe (1 February 2017). "Model predicts insect patterns". Agri-View. Madison, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  10. ^ Parker, Reed (2 April 2018). "DTN Completes Spensa Acquisition". Inside Indiana Business. Indianapolis. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  11. ^ Vinluan, Frank (13 March 2018). "DTN Set to Acquire Spensa, Continuing Trend of Farm Software Deals". Xconomy. Retrieved 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.