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Bluewhite & CNH Forge Strategic Partnership for Autonomous New Holland Tractors

CNH, the parent company of New Holland, and Bluewhite announced a multi-phase partnership to integrate Bluewhite’s autonomous solutions into New Holland tractors.

Key Takeaways

  • CNH, the parent company of New Holland, and Bluewhite announced a multi-phase partnership to integrate Bluewhite’s autonomous solutions into New Holland tractors.
  • This collaboration aims to enable fully autonomous operations for New Holland tractors in orchards, vineyards, and specialty crop operations.
  • Bluewhite’s AI-driven autonomous farm solutions will enhance productivity, sustainability, and operational efficiency for growers.
  • The partnership addresses critical challenges in the specialty crop market, including labor shortages and rising operational costs.
  • The initiative includes immediate dealer rights to sell Bluewhite’s aftermarket kits, with plans for regional and global expansion and potential future factory-installed solutions.

CNH Industrial, the parent company of New Holland, has entered into a strategic partnership with Bluewhite, a leading autonomous technology firm specializing in AI-driven solutions for farming. This multi-phase collaboration is set to revolutionize the agricultural industry by integrating Bluewhite’s advanced autonomous systems into New Holland tractors, enabling them to operate fully autonomously in orchards, vineyards, and other specialty crop operations.

Enhancing Autonomous Capabilities

Carlo Lambro, Brand President of New Holland, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting Bluewhite’s leadership in the specialty crops market. “Bluewhite has proven to be the leader in terms of implementing autonomy in the specialty crops space, a market in great demand for this type of innovation,” said Lambro. He emphasized that this integration will provide New Holland customers with essential autonomous technology in a practical aftermarket solution. This move aligns with New Holland’s mission to enhance customer capabilities and introduce greater autonomy in agricultural operations.

Bluewhite’s Role in Sustainable Farming

Founded in 2017, Bluewhite, formerly known as Blue White Robotics, focuses on sustainable autonomous innovation for permanent crop growers. Headquartered in Tel Aviv with additional offices in Fresno, California, Bluewhite leverages AI, sensor fusion, advanced vehicle integration, and precision implement control to optimize farm management. Their solutions are already in use by over 20 leading permanent crop growers, covering 150,000 acres across the U.S.

Ben Alfi, CEO of Bluewhite, remarked on the significant potential of this partnership. “We’re incredibly excited about collaborating with CNH and New Holland to accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in the field that not only improve productivity and profitability for growers but also promote safe and sustainable methods of producing food,” said Alfi. He sees this partnership as a major step towards making cutting-edge innovation accessible to the agriculture sector.

Addressing Market Challenges

The integration of Bluewhite’s technology supports New Holland’s strategy to expand autonomous solutions, particularly in the specialty crop market. Building on previous acquisitions of Raven, Augmenta, and Hemisphere, which have enhanced New Holland’s autonomy offerings for row crops and broad-acre farmers, Bluewhite’s technology aims to solve immediate challenges faced by specialty crop growers, such as labor shortages and increasing operational costs. Depending on the specific application, Bluewhite’s solutions can reduce operational costs by up to 85% through savings in inputs, labor, and maintenance.

Paul Welbig, Precision Product Marketing Director for New Holland Agriculture North America, highlighted the practical benefits of this technology. “With this tech, we’re not only helping address the financial aspect of an operation by freeing up an operator to tackle other tasks; we’re alleviating some of the biggest pain points growers contend with every day that slow them down during the most critical times in the growing season,” stated Welbig. He noted that timely autonomous operations could significantly improve financial and agronomic outcomes for growers facing labor shortages and scheduling challenges.

Phased Implementation and Future Plans

The partnership’s multi-year initiative will advance the development and integration of Bluewhite’s technology across the New Holland portfolio. Initially, select New Holland dealers in the western U.S. will have the rights to sell, distribute, and service Bluewhite’s aftermarket kits for existing New Holland tractors, with order writing beginning in summer 2024. The plan includes future regional and global expansions to ensure broader access for New Holland customers. Additionally, New Holland and Bluewhite are exploring possibilities for factory-installed autonomous solutions in the future.


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Bluewhite’s Series C Funding Achievement (2024/01/24)

Bluewhite, an agricultural Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) company, has announced a successful $39M Series C financing round, led by Insight Partners and joined by new investors such as Alumni Ventures and LIP Ventures, with support from existing investors like Entrée Capital. The funding will be used for further development and scaling of their autonomous tractor and farming solutions and expanding into new global markets. The global market for autonomous tractors is expected to reach $11.5 billion by 2030, driven by increasing pressures on agricultural production. Bluewhite aims to overcome implementation barriers by providing data-driven insights and a user-friendly experience. Their technology combines hardware and software for a seamless, autonomous farming experience, and their autonomous solutions have already been implemented across significant farmland areas in the US. Founded in 2017, Bluewhite has become a leader in sustainable autonomous farming innovations.

Image provided by Bluewhite

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