Startup Spotlight #23: Cloud Agronomics

Cloud Agronomics is the agricultural intelligence engine.

Aug 21, 2020

I got the chance to speak with Jack Roswell, co-founder and COO of Cloud Agronomics, about what he’s working on at his startup, and any advice he has for emerging entrepreneurs.

Cloud Agronomics is the agricultural intelligence engine. They collect, process, and analyze proprietary geospatial data with a 300x advantage in detecting what was previously invisible to satellites or the human eye. Through their “Bloomberg for Agriculture” platform, they can remotely evaluate and track the performance of crops and soil powered by one of the largest ground-validated datasets for agriculture and scientifically rigorous real-time and predictive insights.

Roswell, co-founder and COO of Cloud, concentrated in electrical engineering and independent remote sensing and spectroscopy research at Brown University. He previously worked with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and United Nations, performing sub-soil imaging work in Cusco at archaeological sites. Roswell was also nominated to the FCC Precision Ag Task Force.

Startup Spotlight: Cloud Agronomics

Cloud Agronomics cofounders (from left to right): Oleksiy Zhuk, Jack Roswell and David Schurman.

Problem: Today, there is a data gap that prevents real-time and predictive analytics for agriculture. Geospatial imagery simply lacks the features necessary to extract beyond what the human eye can see; as a result, the industry relies on laborious infield sampling which gives a local snapshot of global agricultural production.

Market: We offer solutions across carbon sequestration, digital agronomy, and yield predictions. A 2016 Goldman Sachs Precision Farming Report breaks down the digital agronomy industry into 3 relevant categories:

Precision Fertilizer: $65 Billion (TAM) with $200 Billion in added value based on an 18% yield increase.
Precision Planting:$45 Billion (TAM) with $145 Billion in added value based on a 13% yield increase.
Field Monitoring, Data management: $35 Billion with a potential $125 Billion in added value.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration Markets are expected to reach $26 Billion by 2027 and are projected to grow at a CAGR of 22.6% during the forecast period.

Solution: Cloud Agronomics fills that data gap with a breakthrough in geospatial imaging. Using a remote sensing "CT scan for crops and soil", we can, for the first time, see past the surface of crops and soil, and quantify and track agronomic properties for every crop in the world.

Team: Agtech is unique in that it demands deep subject matter expertise, and few people with that background can cross into complex scientific and digital analysis. We've recruited a team that can: https://www.cloudagronomics.com/team.

Recent Success:

Roswell: Recruiting! We are humbled by the experienced management team that we have been able to attract, starting with our CEO who spent over 20 years in the ag industry at Cargill and Indigo Ag. Cloud's Chief Scientist is a remote sensing professor at Brown University and co-investigator on the NASA GEDI mission, and our Executive Chairman was the youngest CFO of any NYSE company. When you combine the heart, grit, and perseverance of a founder with experienced executives that bring industry raport and legacy relationships, you can accelerate your commercial traction and legitimacy.

Recent Struggle:

Roswell: As a deep tech venture, we need to remind ourselves that we are not building a breakthrough technology, rather we are uncovering need in the industry, and tailoring our product development for specific use cases. Engineers and computer scientists by training, our founding team is highly analytical, and we are fascinated by our scientific and computing breakthroughs. All fantastic, but we don't want to run out of cash while holding a shiny and innovative technology. On top of making it easier to raise venture capital dollars, uncovering true customer need enables a team to have a clear vision for analytical development, product features, and go to market.

Founder Advice:

Roswell: Make time for what is important to you. I wake up at 6:30 am most days, meditate, and read regardless of how busy my day may be. I would highly recommend checking out The Medici Effect.

- Go into random conversations with an open mind, because you never know what will come out of them or how serendipitous they may turn out to be.

- Don't forget to make time for family, friends, and the life you've built outside of your startup.

- "I am not a self-made man. I got a lot of help...Like everyone, to get where I am, I stood on the shoulders of giants. My life was built on a foundation of parents, coaches, and teachers; of kind souls who lent couches or gym back rooms where I could sleep; of mentors who shared wisdom and advice; of idols who motivated me from the pages of magazines." -- Arnold Schwarzenegger

Three Cool Founders You Should Know About:

Roswell: Here are three founders you should check out next!

Erin Smith, Founder of FacePrint: FacePrint is an AI tool to detect and monitor Parkinson's disease and commonly misidentified neurological disorders using video technology and early-stage facial expression indicators.
Paige Brown, Founder of WindBorne Systems: WindBorne Systems provides weather and earth observation data from balloon networks.
Zach Oschin, Founder of Elenas: Elenas is Latin America's first social commerce platform that connects lifestyle brands, with a network of 100,000+ ambassadors who promote products to their social circles.

Who should I profile next? Leave your suggestion in the comments:

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