FREQUENTLY Company Backgrounder 2015 Page 1
Business Summary FREQU Agribotix processes and analyzes agricultural data gathered by drones. We provide growers with actionable recommendations that enable them to spend less and grow more, maximizing their bottom line and reducing their environmental footprint. Our primary product is an agricultural data processing service that takes data collected from a drone flight and produces actionable agricultural reports. For people who already have a drone we call our service Bring Your Own Drone (BYOD) where anyone, using any drone, can use our service to produce relevant agricultural reports. For those who don t have a drone, we offer complete packages that include a drone, training materials and everything necessary to use drones for collecting data over a field or farm. Our customers find that converting the data they collect with their drones into a format that is usable by a farmer is difficult. It requires an investment in expensive computing infrastructure and specialized image processing and agricultural expertise. The Agribotix analytics service solves these problems by providing an internet-accessible, self-service tool. Users, who come to the Agribotix web site, submit their data and receive accurate results in around an hour without any interaction with Agribotix employees. People are solving important agricultural problems using drones. For example, up to 40% of the fertilizer put onto a cornfield is wasted. Our customers perform a 30- minute drone flight and submit the data to our back end cloud analytics. The resulting field condition report can be directly imported into farm management software packages. By better targeting how the fertilizer that is applied, our solution can increase a grower s profits by up to 20% and reduce their environmental impact. Page 2
Table of Contents FRE Business Summary..... 2 About Agribotix.... 4 Agribotix Solutions... 5 & 6 Recent Publications About Agribotix... 7 Frequently Asked Questions.. 8 & 9 Page 3
FRE About Agribotix Company Founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2013, Agribotix is a drone-enabled software company that provides advanced analysis for global agricultural applications. Agribotix offers two core solutions. First, a turnkey package for those who wish to use a drone to collect agricultural data which includes an ultra-reliable drone coupled with a leading cloud-based data analysis and reporting solution. Second, for customers who have a drone we provide an affordable, Bring Your Own Drone self-serve data processing and analysis service. Both solutions provide customers with actionable intelligence that results in substantially reduced field inputs, improved yield and increased profits for growers. Outputs include prescription maps for in-season fertilization, specialized reporting and weed reports for geolocating resistant patches and estimating coverage. These actionable recommendations enable farmers to spend less and grow more, maximizing their bottom line. Leadership Paul Hoff, CEO Paul is a business development executive with deep technology industry skills and is a leader in expanding the impact of innovation. Paul has been involved in the launch of nine start-up companies. He has a Duke undergrad with an MBA from Haas at UC Berkeley. Contact: Email: paul.hoff@agribotix.com Phone: 720.308.7879 Tom McKinnon, Founder & CTO Tom has a MIT PhD with 20 years of teaching experience at Colorado School of Mines. He has been involved in three start-up companies and is a graduate of the Cleantech Fellows Institute. Contact: Email: tom.mckinnon@agribotix.com Phone: 303.638.2533 Wayne Greenberg, Chairman of the Board Wayne is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully raised capital and led multiple exits. He has been an advisor to Enertech Capital since 1998. He has a JD (cum laude) and MBA from Tulane University. Contact: Email: wayne.greenberg@agribotix.com Phone: 303.257.1444 The Agribotix team is rounded out by staff that bring essential skills in aerial data acquisition and processing, drone design and operation, geographical information systems (GIS), agronomy, operations and web design. Page 4
Agribotix Solutions Agribotix makes drones work for agriculture. We process and analyze agricultural data gathered by drones, providing growers with actionable recommendations that enable them to spend less and grow more, maximizing their bottom line. Agribotix provides several data products, all with a range of available options that enable customization to suit individual needs. For users who do not own drones, we offer two turnkey solutions that include aircraft, imaging, ground control and data processing. All Agribotix solutions include training materials and support, as well as a 90-day limited warranty. Extended warranties with no questions asked hot swap are available for additional cost. For complete details, full list of available options and pricing for any of our systems, please contact us at info@agribotix.com or 720-295-3625. Bring Your Own Drone Self-Service Data Processing and Analytics Agribotix s Bring Your Own Drone (BYOD) self-service data processing solution is available to anyone using any drone for agricultural data collection, anywhere in the world. The on-demand, self-service suite of cloud-based data processing and analysis services enable drone operators to convert sensor data collected by their aircraft into actionable reports. Agricultural drone pilots don t need to be software experts; they can focus on the business of producing reports for their customers that maximize crop yields and improve their bottom line. The BYOD solution provides a very high level of customer service and fast turnaround so that farmers can act quickly, before conditions change. Available processing and analytics include: Basic image stitching for RGB or near infrared image field maps Field health maps (NDVI) Agribotix Management Zone Map Archival storage of field maps Weather augmentation Custom data processing Page 5
Agribotix Solutions Hornet Fixed Wing Turnkey Drone System (starting at $6,000 USD) The rugged, Hornet fixed-wing drone is engineered to perform in the demanding farm environment. From mission creation to field assembly to launch to flight and finally the landing, this system makes aerial scouting easy. The complete package includes our rapid-deploy, bungee-launched Hornet aircraft, equipped with 3D Robotics Pixhawk autopilot for autonomous takeoff, flight and landing. High quality, standard on-board imaging system with Go Pro Hero 3+ camera is included, with optional upgrades available. The ground control station includes computer with GUI-based software for flight planning and in-flight monitoring as well as Agribotix Field Extractor software for uploading captured data to our cloud-based data processing service. Available add-ons include: 10,000 acres basic image processing Hornet LR long range upgrade RGB camera Custom analytics 12-month hot swap warranty Enduro Quad turnkey drone package (starting at $6,500 USD) The engineers at Agribotix designed the Enduro Quad as a purpose-built platform for precision agriculture. The Enduro Quad multi-rotor aircraft excels at vertical takeoff and landing, giving operators the confidence to fly in areas that would be difficult with a fixed wing drone. Long endurance capability enables the Enduro Quad to cover a quarter section field (160 acres) on a single battery charge. This complete package includes our commercial quality, dual radio-equipped Enduro Quad copter aircraft, with 3D Robotics Pixhawk autopilot for autonomous takeoff, flight and landing. High quality, standard on-board imaging system with Go Pro Hero 3+ camera is included, with optional upgrades available. The ground control station includes computer with GUI-based software for flight planning and in-flight monitoring and Agribotix Field Extractor software for uploading captured data to the Agribotix cloud-based image processing service. Available add-ons include: 10,000 acres basic image processing Hornet LR long range upgrade RGB camera Custom analytics 12-month hot swap warranty Page 6
Recent Articles 9News Video segment featuring Agribotix. It explains the importance of drones in farming, how our image processing will help farmers farm better in the future and the issues Quote: At some point in probably three years, it would be unusual if a farmer didn t own one of these (drones). There is about 300 million acres of agricultural land in the United States, and almost all of it could benefit from aerial imagery. ABC News Australia Discussion on how the FAA s January 2015 announcement of proposed commercial drone rules will enable the rapid growth of this emerging industry. Quote: People feel like they see the road ahead has been cleared. There's going to be thousands and thousands of companies buying drones and using them." Boulderopolis Boulderopolis delves deeper into the issue of FAA drone regulations and the barriers it imposes on building a business like Agribotix. The article goes through issues that Agribotix has had to face in the past with regulations, whether or not to file an exemption application, where to sell their drones and technology and where the drone business is headed in the future. Quote: We ve sold our drone systems in 11 countries, including Canada, he said. The sad part of all this is that American farmers don t get access to this great technology. Some of the FAA s safety concerns really don t apply to open and uninhabited farm land, say in Nebraska. PRNewsWire This article details how Agribotix is a precision agricultural tool available to people all over the world based on its cloud based data processing solution. The maps that we develop are overhead view of fields to spot problem areas that can be used for zone mapping for precise fertilizer application. Quote: "Agricultural drone pilots don't want to be software experts; they want to focus on the business of producing reports for their customers that maximize crop yields and improve their bottom line. We give them a very high level of customer service and fast turnaround so that they can act quickly, before conditions change." NPR Colorado could become the Silicon Valley of Agriculture. Colorado Governor Hickenlooper draws comparisons between the innovation seen in agriculture in Colorado to the innovation in Dutch economy which is a powerhouse in agricultural areas. Agribotix s Quadcopter Drone is showcased in the article along with teammate Jimmy Underhill. Page 7
Why are drones important for agriculture? Crop prices are falling while fertilizer, seed, and water costs are rising. This is the new era of farming, where precision agriculture principles demand a new approach to crop management, one that wrings out every possible drop of wasted cost to maximize crop yields and profits. How does Agribotix use drones? Agribotix makes drones work for agriculture. We offer a complete, end-to-end service that solves recurring, high-value problems. We fly drones to capture agricultural data, then process and analyze it, providing growers with actionable recommendations that enable them to spend less and grow more, maximizing their bottom line. What if a grower or agronomist has a drone already? Agribotix s Bring Your Own Drone (BYOD) service provides self-service suite of cloud-based data processing and analysis services available to anyone wishing to convert input sensor data collected by drones into actionable reports. Why would growers or agronomists want BYOD services? Flying a drone and taking pictures is fairly straightforward; however, converting hundreds of individual images into an actionable product presents a challenge for many operators. The software is expensive, requires high-end computing capability, is time-consuming and requires expertise. The BYOD service enables growers and agronomists to concentrate on what they do best: maximizing crop yield, without having to be an IT expert. What is the output of Agribotix s solutions? Agribotix can produce a field condition report in less than one hour after following a 30-minute drone flight. The field data can be directly imported into most farm management software packages via the automated, cloud-based back end. Not only does the Agribotix solution enable significant cost reductions and a high ROI for growers, it provides the basis for improved yields, as a result of smarter fertilizer application. Why are Agribotix solutions important for agriculture? Growers need to know what s going on in the middle of their fields, which cover vast acreage. They need to know whether seeds have germinated, and if not, where they need to replant. They need to understand which microenvironments require additional attention, and they require easy, efficient ways to manage the escalating cost of fertilizer and preserve profitability. Page 8
How much can growers save by using Agribotix s solutions? Variable-rate fertilizer application offers potential savings of up to 40%, providing that growers can respond rapidly to current conditions. Existing data inputs, such as yield monitors, soil sampling and satellite/manned aerial imaging are inadequate. These inputs have long lead times and are expensive. Agribotix data services enable them affordably to receive near real-time data that makes precision application of expensive inputs possible. Where are Agribotix solutions available? Agribotix data processing and analysis solutions are available to growers anywhere in the world where drones are used for agriculture. How much do Agribotix s solutions cost? Turnkey drone plus basic image processing packages start around $7,000. The BYOD data processing and analysis services are priced based on selected available features and field acreage. Contract pricing starts at $1,000 with an Agribotix drone purchase. Contact Agribotix for price quotes and current discounts at info@agribotix.com or (720) 295-3625. Does Agribotix work with agronomists and distributors? Yes. Contact us about our distributor program at info@agribotix.com or (720) 295-3625. How will the FAA rules governing drone use for affect agriculture? On February 15, 2015, the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the FAA announced new proposed rules. The proposed rules are beneficial for the drone industry, which was seeing market gains by foreign competitors not limited by regulations. The proposed rules exempt drone operators from holding a private pilot s license and do not require certifications, advance plans or air traffic controller permission, rules applicable for manned flight. Previously, such requirements threatened the economic feasibility of agricultural drone use. New proposed rules for visual line-of-sight, < 500 altitude operations limit and daylight operations requirement are seen as positives. Agricultural drone operators will be required to pass an FAAapproved knowledge test. Agribotix sees these proposed rules as a step in the right direction that should make droneenabled precision agriculture more accessible and cost-effective for growers in the U.S. Page 9