A college student group at Brown University aims to reshape the landscape of crop disease control through their innovative startup initiative.
Cloud Agronomics: Revolutionizing the Agricultural Industry with Hyperspectral Imaging
Cloud Agronomics, a groundbreaking startup founded by Brown University students Alex Zhuk, Jack Roswell, and David Schurman in 2018, is on the brink of a revolutionary agricultural innovation. The company, which has gained key support from the Brown community, including alumni and faculty, is now experimenting with collecting and calibrating spectral technology from drones and planes to revolutionize crop management.
The team's journey began with a crop disease affecting the citrus industry in Florida. With funding from the Brown Venture Prize, Roswell and Zhuk bought a spectrometer and used it to research the disease. This hands-on data collection in the Florida fields led them to consider the potential of using drone technology to analyze crops on a larger scale. Initially, the founders aimed to build a drone that could run on solar energy alone.
The founders' vision caught the attention of Mark Tracy, CEO of Cloud Agronomics, who was impressed with the team and their project when he was first introduced to them via the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown. Tracy stated that the technology can analyze entire agricultural fields at a time, rather than individual plants, a significant advantage in the industry.
Cloud Agronomics uses hyperspectral imaging to detect crop-borne diseases. This technology allows for the analysis of the chemical makeup of crops, helping farmers to identify and address problems early. The company has taken on partners such as Microsoft AI for Earth and global agricultural giants, and is now working to combine data collected from planes with satellite data to scale the analysis internationally.
The Nelson Center has played a significant role in connecting Cloud Agronomics with key alumni and faculty supporters. One such supporter is Jonas Clark, associate director of the Nelson Center, who sees Cloud Agronomics as a great example of what can happen when student creativity is harnessed with support from the Brown community.
Another key supporter is faculty expert Kellner, who met the Cloud Agronomics team and discussed the potential application of remote sensing technology to agricultural challenges. Kellner will be joining Cloud Agronomics as its chief scientist. He believes that by applying large-scale hyperspectral imaging to the agriculture industry, Cloud Agronomics has found the right problem to solve. Kellner thinks that with more information, the agricultural system can be both more productive and efficient at producing food.
Recently, Cloud Agronomics raised seed capital to launch its next phase, which will expand the team, commercialization of its dynamic crop nutrient solution, and establish a scalable and scientifically rigorous carbon index. Don Stanford, an alumnus and mentor to Cloud Agronomics, sees this as a great opportunity for the startup. He believes that Cloud Agronomics is destined to be one of the great breakthrough projects for the Nelson Center and for Brown.
As of the present, there is no publicly available detailed information specifically about the current state of financing for Cloud Agronomics. However, recent project funding referenced involves other agricultural and food transparency initiatives, but no clear update on Cloud Agronomics financing was found in the available sources.
In conclusion, Cloud Agronomics is a promising startup that is revolutionizing the agricultural industry with its hyperspectral imaging technology. With the backing of the Brown community and key partners, the company is poised to make a significant impact on the future of agriculture.
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