Kubota North America Corporation Acquires US-based AgTech Startup Bloomfield Robotics, Inc., a Company Providing Specialty Crop Monitoring Services

Kubota Corporation (Head Office: Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan; President and Representative Director: Yuichi Kitao) and its U.S. holding company, Kubota North America Corporation (Head Office: Texas, United States of America; hereinafter “KNA”; together “Kubota”), have acquired Bloomfield Robotics, Inc. (hereinafter “Bloomfield”), a U.S. startup company that uses image analysis and AI technology to determine optimal specialty crop harvest timing and provide yield prediction services, as a subsidiary of KNA.

• Bloomfield provides continuous plant-level inspection and analysis on a Software as a Service (SaaS) basis to specialty crop farmers such as grapes, blueberries, etc.
• Bloomfield’s image capture technology is unaffected by ambient light and can operate even when the vehicle is running at high speeds. Their purpose-built cameras are easily mounted on tractors and other vehicles common to farming, and allow for the capture of detailed plant-level, geo-located images for the entire farm. Bloomfield's AI analyzes the collected image data to predict optimal harvesting timing and yield, based on factors such as fruit color, maturity and size, using a large amount of crop monitoring data. This information allows farmers to better allocate farm labor and resources, apply differential plant-level treatments, and optimize harvest timing. The result is operational efficiency, improved yield quality, quantity, and reduced costs.
• Digitization, mechanization and automation in specialty crop farming such as fruits, vegetables and tree nuts lags behind advancements incorporated in the cultivation of row crops. Therefore, there is a significant need for innovative solutions in specialty crops farming that integrate data with automated systems, operational robotics, and other assets, and such market is a focal point of Kubota’s strategic attention and efforts.
• The acquisition of Bloomfield will allow Kubota to incorporate Bloomfield’s SaaS business insights and data utilization expertise. This acquisition accelerates the development of crop monitoring technologies for integration into tractors, sprayers and other agricultural machinery, thereby enabling Kubota to more quickly develop and deliver solutions to the specialty crop market.