In the News

• Growers of Indigo Certified Cotton™ can increase their profitability with higher yields and guaranteed premiums on acres marketed with Indigo
• The base agreement of the offer includes Indigo® microbial-treated seed and agronomic support, with the option to add other services available through Indigo
• Growers can market their fiber independently, or find buyers through Indigo 

Boston, Massachusetts, October 9, 2018 –Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces its latest offer, Indigo Certified Cotton™. Available for the 2019 crop season, Indigo Certified Cotton offers growers premier inputs to achieve higher yields and flexibility to decide how to market their fiber, while also emphasizing sustainable growing practices.

• Indigo Certified Crops™ is a new offer for U.S. growers, integrating the company’s microbial and digital technologies with the newly announced Indigo Marketplace™
• The offer aims to increase grower profitability with higher yields and guaranteed premiums on grain sold through Indigo Marketplace™
• Growers engaged in Indigo Certified Crops™ retain decision-making authority in the marketing of their grain

Boston, Massachusetts, September 20^th, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces its newest offering for the 2019 crop season, Indigo Certified Crops™.  Indigo Certified Crops was built to provide growers with flexibility in the marketing of their grain, while increasing profitability through higher yields and premiums guaranteed on grain sold through Indigo Marketplace™.

By Andy Rosen

By Kate Clark

By Austin Weinstein

By David Perry

The system by which we grow and distribute grain is well over a hundred years old. In the early 1900s, with significant urban migration, came the need for an efficient way to transport crops from rural areas to city centers. This led to the development of a commodity system, in which growers brought their harvested grain to silos where it was mixed with their neighbors’. Growers were paid a set price for each bushel, without regard to source, seed, or process by which it was grown. From there, grain was loaded onto railroad cars or steamships and eventually reached consumers, who increasingly purchased food grown hundreds or thousands of miles from where they lived. For a time, this worked well – it fed our nation, and the world.

By Christian Kreznar

• Indigo extends efforts to decommoditize agriculture with launch of Indigo Marketplace™, a digital platform for buying and selling grain
• Indigo Marketplace has already connected thousands of U.S. growers and buyers, with billions of dollars in inventory and demand
• Supporting Indigo’s mission and the expansion of Indigo Marketplace is a Series E raise of $250M, bringing Indigo’s total capital raised to over $650M

Boston, Massachusetts, September 18, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces the launch of Indigo Marketplace™, along with the close of a $250M Series E funding round. Indigo Marketplace allows the company to further its vision for decommoditizing agriculture to better support grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health.

• Leveraging satellite technology, Indigo releases data on an unprecedented 40,000+ acres from the 2018 commercial wheat harvest
• Indigo Wheat™ demonstrates median yield gains of 12.7%, with protein content averaging 13.8%
• Growers of Indigo Wheat™ with a 40 bushel per acre average have the potential to earn $44.20 more per acre in the 2018/2019 season

Boston, Massachusetts, September 12, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has released 2018 harvest data from over 40,000 acres of wheat grown through Indigo Production™. Wheat grown in contract with Indigo demonstrated median yield gains of 12.7% when compared to neighboring fields. Responding to demands of buyers and consumers for higher quality grain, the company has also shared the protein content of wheat grown through Indigo Production. Protein content averaged 13.8%, which is an increase of 1.1% over county averages. 

By Geoffrey von Maltzahn

When evaluating products, growers trust the results they see with their own eyes. The benefit of a different seed variety, irrigation system, fertilizing practice, new product, or method is suspect until the crop looks healthier and yields are higher. Growers remain skeptical until these technologies succeed in the climate and conditions of their region and in their own hands – because the needs of growers in Kansas differ from those in Texas, as the needs of those growers in the Corn Belt differ from those in Western Australia.

By Laurie Bedord

By Steve Cubbage

• Birtwistle joins Indigo after a career developing successful go-to-market strategies for digital products at high-growth technology companies
• In his new role, Birtwistle is responsible for Indigo’s digital and software products
• Birtwistle’s arrival highlights Indigo’s focus on digital technologies that enable data-driven farming and increased food system transparency

By Wilmington News Journal

By P.J. Griekspoor

Hosted by Michael Pearson, Delaney Howell, & Hannah Pagel

By Boston Real Estate Times

• Indigo Wheat™ demonstrated average yield gains of 19% in low yielding conditions and 13% across all conditions
• Improving upon last year’s yield gains of 16% in low yielding conditions and 8% across all conditions, 2018 reflects year-over-year improvement, validating research and development approach

Boston, Massachusetts, July 10, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has released an early view on yield data from its microbial seed treatment for wheat. In its second commercial season, Indigo Wheat™ demonstrated an average yield uplift of 13% in side-by-side trials held on 24 fields, with four popular seed varieties across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas showing a win-rate of 62.5%. Under higher-stress, low-yielding conditions, the average yield uplift was 19% with a win-rate of 76%.

By Rachel Raymond, with growers of Indigo Wheat 

U.S. winter wheat was hit hard with challenging growing conditions this past season. The USDA expects a nationwide harvest of 1.2 billion bushels, which would be the lowest since 2002. Dry months after planting paired with freezes in April and then extremely hot temperatures during grain fill were a perfect storm for wheat growers. In Texas and Oklahoma, many fields were abandoned for the year, which means it wasn’t worthwhile for the growers to even harvest — Texas saw a 66% abandonment rate and Oklahoma 54%, which are historic highs.

By Matt Noltemeyer

By Dorothy Crouch

By Alex Knapp, Maggie McGrath, and Chloe Sorvino

By David Edwards

By Louisa Burwood-Taylor

By Srividya Kalyanaraman

By Louisa Burwood-Taylor

• Via Indigo Research Partners^TM, a network of 50+ of the largest US growers, Indigo has instrumented fields across the US to gather over a trillion data points each day and test hundreds of agricultural technologies over the next two years
• Open platform for agricultural research enables data-based agronomic & financial decision making and accelerates adoption of innovative technologies
  

   

Boston, Massachusetts, June 13, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today the expansion of its innovation platform, Indigo Research Partners^TM. The platform, which was launched in 2017 as Indigo Partners^TM, involves collaborating with 50 leading growers and agronomic experts to evaluate agricultural technologies over 25,000 acres. It has significantly evolved over the past 12 months to provide further support to growers through real-time, farm-specific insights collected from commercial-scale testing. Using over a trillion data points gathered daily from sensors, drones, weather stations, and other technologies, the platform will optimize on-farm decision-making, accelerate the adoption of new technologies, and improve grower profitability.      

By Geoffrey von Maltzahn

At Indigo, we believe the best lab for testing innovative agricultural techniques is the farm itself. Through collaborations with farmers around the US, we are building the world’s largest agricultural lab — Indigo Research Partners™ — with the goal of accelerating innovations that increase yields, improve environmental sustainability, and/or reduce risks for farmers.

• Experienced agribusiness professional Neuffer will accelerate Indigo’s international expansion, bringing the company’s technology and business model to a wide network of growers

   

Boston, Massachusetts, June 5, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today that Karsten Neuffer has joined as Chief Operating Officer, International. Neuffer will lead Indigo’s international business operations, which are currently centered in Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. Indigo is linking growers of all sizes directly with buyers around the world. The company is committed to improving farmer livelihoods and satisfying rising demand for high quality, identity preserved goods. Indigo’s microbial and digital technologies are highly transferrable across geographies, and have demonstrated a positive effect on productivity in areas experiencing environmental stress.

• Indigo joins the Better Cotton Initiative as a member and Implementing Partner
• Indigo will work alongside growers to license Indigo Cotton^TM as Better Cotton, differentiated by production practices that meet industry-leading sustainability standards

   

Boston, Massachusetts, May 31, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) as a member and Implementing Partner. Through this partnership, U.S. Indigo Cotton^TM will be produced in accordance with the Better Cotton Standard System (BCSS) Principles and Criteria. The BCSS is a holistic approach to cotton production covering three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic, with the Principles and Criteria supporting this. They align with Indigo’s goals and include minimizing the impact of harmful crop protection practices, improving water stewardship, enhancing fiber quality, and promoting healthier soil.

• Indigo is recognized alongside most ambitious and innovative companies representing breakthrough ideas from all over the world

Boston, Massachusetts, May 22, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has been named to the sixth annual CNBC Disruptor 50 List, a ranked list of the most ambitious and innovative companies representing breakthrough ideas from all over the world. Indigo’s #18 ranking caps a remarkable period of company growth, with the early half of 2018 bringing multiple notable milestones—including continuous improvement in Indigo Cotton^TM yield gains, the development of an on-farm storage program, organic certification, and expansion across hundreds of thousands of acres of corn, soy, rice and cotton.

Hosted by Tim Hammerich

By Elizabeth G Dunn

• Crespo will focus on ensuring the delivery of Indigo coated seeds directly to growers and on the movement of high quality, identity preserved crops from grower to buyer

Boston, Massachusetts, April 10, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today the appointment of Frank Crespo as its Chief Supply Chain Officer. With decades of experience in procurement and supplier relations, Crespo will lead Indigo’s efforts to transform the agriculture value chain, building capabilities that increase grower profitability while responding to consumer preference. 

By Eric Schroeder

• Indigo^® microbial treatment for corn is now approved for certified organic production
• Indigo responds to consumer demand for production systems that better support consumer and environmental health

Boston, Massachusetts, March 20, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has received organic certification for the company’s microbial seed treatment in corn. This certification was awarded by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), a non-profit organization that provides an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production and processing. OMRI’s review confirmed that Indigo’s microbial product is compliant with the standards of the USDA’s National Organic Program.

By Rachel Raymond

Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in and aware of  how their food and clothing is produced. We see this trend as organic products become more widely available in retail stores, and as large companies make commitments to producing food and fiber in a more sustainable manner. As Indigo’s Head of Crop Product Management, my work is driven by the company’s commitment to support farmers as they produce healthier and more environmentally sustainable food. Delivering products that meet consumer demands is the goal of any product manager — in fact, it’s the reason that the function exists.

Steve McBee runs a family operation in Kansas City, MO, growing Indigo Corn™ and Indigo Soybeans™. He shares what it's been like to work with Indigo so far, speaking to the company's commitment to identity preservation and environmental sustainability.

• Accomplished leader responsible for driving growth at General Mills, one of the nation’s largest food production companies, joins Indigo’s board
• Simonds’ experience in the consumer goods space will support Indigo’s vision of meeting public demand for a healthy, transparent food supply

Boston, Massachusetts, March 15, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today the appointment of Ann Simonds, experienced consumer goods professional and former Chief Marketing Officer of General Mills, to its Board of Directors. With her deep expertise in marketing management, customer insight, consumer products, and integrated marketing, Simonds will strengthen the company’s commercial growth and brand recognition. Coupled with her marketing expertise, Simonds has broad operating experience in wheat, cocoa, and sugar from her roles as President of Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, and Immaculate Baking.

• Indigo Cotton demonstrates a 14% average yield increase on commercial fields in water-stressed Texas
• Yield gains reflect year-over-year improvement, validating research and development approach

Boston, Massachusetts, March 13, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has released preliminary data from its second commercial season in cotton. Indigo Cotton™ demonstrated an average yield gain of 14% in commercial fields of West Texas. This is an improvement upon the 2016 season, Indigo Cotton’s first commercial launch, in which the average yield gain was 11% in a similar environment.

By Chance Hoener

By  Katie Humphreys

• On-farm storage program enables identity preservation of grain and improves farm margins
• This U.S. program is a key step in building a marketplace where farmers are directly connected to buyers seeking high quality, identity preserved grain

Boston, Massachusetts, March 1, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has launched an on-farm storage program for U.S. farmers. This program facilitates the identity preservation of grain, which underpins the marketplace that Indigo is building to connect farmers directly with buyers of high quality, identity preserved crops.

By David Perry

The mid-nineteenth century saw a revolution in transportation — and advances in railways and steamships allowed for the movement of massive amounts of grain from rural farms to urban centers. In the 1850s alone, the amount of farmland in the United States grew by one hundred million acres, and over half of these acres were in just seven Midwestern states[1]. Consumers increasingly purchased food grown hundreds or thousands of miles from where they lived. This trend continued into the twentieth century, with truck transport gaining in efficiency. This was hinged on the development of the Interstate Highway System, a public works project authorized by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. Farmers were able to truck their harvests to elevators — storage facilities that would buy their grain.

By Keith Cline

• Governor Baker’s visit puts a spotlight on Indigo as one of Boston’s fastest growing companies, supporting Boston’s status as an innovation hub
• Indigo’s new expansion to 65,000 square feet includes state-of-the-art research labs and open office space in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, January 18, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, welcomed Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to the company’s headquarters in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, on Wednesday to officiate the opening of their expanded global headquarters. Indigo is a consumer-focused agriculture startup, helping to elevate the city of Boston as an innovation hub on a global stage. As a core part of its growth plan, Indigo continues to expand its Boston-based team and facilities.

David Perry, Indigo president and chief executive officer, discusses the company's agricultural technology with Bloomberg's Emily Chang on "Bloomberg Technology." (Source: Bloomberg)

By Jim Steadman

• Indigo will pay U.S. cotton growers $0.01 to $0.05 per pound above market price
• Growers are guaranteed a minimum premium of $18 or $25 payable per acre to grow Indigo Cotton™
• Indigo Rain-Fed Cotton™ delivers industry-leading yield uplift and environmental benefits

Boston, Massachusetts, January 9, 2018 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today a new production offer that brings significant price premiums for cotton growers in the U.S. Growers who contract with the company to grow Indigo Cotton™ will receive $0.01 to $0.05 per pound above market price based on a guaranteed minimum premium of $18 or $25 per acre at grower average production histories. The per pound premium, which varies according to region and class, applies to both irrigated cotton and Indigo Rain-Fed Cotton™ (non-irrigated).

By Jennifer M. Latzke

Sledge Taylor farms cotton, corn, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, and cattle at Buckeye Farms in Como, MS. Recipient of the 2015 Cotton Grower Achievement Award, Sledge is an active member of the USDA's Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade and serves on many national farm boards and organizations. Sledge offers his perspective on the Indigo model and what it may mean in terms of sustainability.

By Emily Waltz

• Indigo to provide Grain Craft with wheat that is sustainably produced, identity preserved, and meets enhanced milling quality standards

Boston, Massachusetts, December 12, 2017 – Grain Craft, the largest independent flour milling company in the United States, has partnered with Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, in a supply agreement for one million bushels of high quality, sustainably produced, and identity preserved wheat. Indigo has already partnered with hundreds of U.S. farmers to produce Indigo Wheat^TM at a premium of 43 cents per bushel over the price of commodity wheat. When the crop is harvested in 2018, Indigo will deliver the wheat to Grain Craft, where it will be milled into flour for baking, foodservice, and pizza customers.

By David Perry

In the first half of the twentieth century, we became increasingly concerned about how we could feed a growing population. In the decades after World War II, we answered this question, at least for a time, in a period that is now referred to as The Green Revolution. This period was defined by the adoption and sweeping use of four agricultural technologies — plant breeding, synthetic fertilizers, crop chemicals, and, beginning in the mid-90’s, genetic modification of plants. Alongside these technologies came changes in the supply chain: we began to treat most crops like commodities and, with the expanded use of elevators and railways, we were able to store and transport harvests in bulk.

By Jennifer L. Schenker

David Taylor of Como, MS discusses the importance of making data-driven decisions on his farm and how companies like Indigo are helping to lead the way.

By Elle Perry

By Kelly J. O'Brien

By Heather Somerville

By Louisa Burwood-Taylor

• Indigo raises an additional $47M, bringing Series D total to $203M and total amount raised to over $400M
• New investor, Investment Corporation of Dubai, joins previous investors the Alaska Permanent Fund, Baillie Gifford, Activant Capital, and founder Flagship Pioneering

Boston, Massachusetts, December 6, 2017 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, today announces the closing of its Series D funding round. With an additional $47M raised since the announcement of a $156M closing in late September, the total round has reached $203M. The largest investor in the second close was Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), which will hold a Board Observer seat at Indigo.

• Indigo Corn demonstrates a 30+ bushel per acre yield increase on farms under severe water stress
• Indigo announces 47 cent per bushel premium at harvest for growers of Indigo Corn  in 2018

Boston, Massachusetts, November 20, 2017 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has released preliminary data from its microbial seed treatment for corn. Indigo Corn^TM was commercially launched in the spring of 2017. Like Indigo Wheat^TM and Indigo Cotton^TM, Indigo Corn was developed from naturally occurring, in-plant microbes to increase the productivity of plants by improving their tolerance to water stress. With expected increases in both the frequency and severity of drought over the coming decades,[1] there is an urgent need for the development of water-efficient methods of food and fiber production.

By Geoffrey von Maltzahn

This past season, we planted Indigo Corn™ in a region of central Kansas where fields only received 50% of their average rainfall. This severe water stress led to yields of only 80 bushels per acre on many farms. With Indigo Corn, yield increases of 32 to 40 bushels an acre were seen, despite the conditions. As our CEO, David Perry, pointed out, this meaningful boost could account for the profitability of a family farm.

Grower David Cleavinger discusses Indigo’s multi-faceted approach to improving the agricultural industry for the next generation

I first learned about Indigo in July 2017, when CEO, David Perry, and Head of Commercial Operations, Barry Knight, paid a visit to the Texas Wheat Office. As Vice President of the National Wheat Foundation, I sat in a meeting where they explained the new model that Indigo is bringing to the agriculture industry.

• Transformative R&D leader with diverse scientific and business background to join Indigo and guide agriculture technology efforts

Boston, Massachusetts, September 28, 2017 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today the appointment of Dr. Jonathan McIntyre as Indigo’s Head of Research and Development. Dr. McIntyre will lead the company’s efforts to discover, launch, and accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies in agriculture.

By Lucia Maffei

By Kelly J. O'Brien

By Frank Vinluan

By Andy Rosen

By Brian Gormley

By David Perry

At Indigo, we believe that we have the opportunity to create a fundamentally different kind of agriculture company — one that is focused on a different set of values. We believe that a better agriculture starts with 3 principles:

• Latest funding round will support Indigo’s continued investment in plant microbiome research, development of software and data tools, and rapid commercial expansion

Boston, Massachusetts, September 26, 2017 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces the first closing of $156 million in its Series D financing, doubling the company’s total capital raised to over $300 million. New investors, including Baillie Gifford and Activant Capital, join the company’s founder and first investor, Flagship Pioneering, and existing investor, the Alaska Permanent Fund, in this closing. J.P. Morgan acted as sole placement agent to Indigo on this transaction. This latest round will support Indigo’s commitment to building a new kind of agriculture company — one that is focused on improving farmer profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health.

• Indigo Wheat™ demonstrates an average yield improvement of 15.7% in expected conditions and 8.3% across all conditions in the water-stressed target region of Kansas
• Indigo announces the intention to contract with leading farmers to produce 10.5 million bushels of Indigo Wheat™ for a 30 cent per bushel premium

Boston, Massachusetts, August 29, 2017 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, released preliminary data from its microbial seed treatment for wheat. Indigo’s second commercial product, Indigo Wheat™ was launched in the fall of 2016 on approximately 20,000 acres across multiple states and was recently harvested. The seed treatment, developed from naturally occurring, in-plant microbes, increases the productivity of wheat plants by improving plant tolerance to water stress.

• Respected finance and business development executive to join Indigo

Boston, Massachusetts, August 21, 2017 - Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today the appointment of Jeff Poulton as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Indigo’s newest leader will manage the company’s financial operations and support its growth aspirations, bringing with him extensive experience in finance, investor relations, and strategy.

By Eileen Mignoni

By Asma Khalid

• Esteemed leader responsible for sustainable innovations in the food industry to join Indigo
• Indigo's Board grows to six industry experts, poised to help drive company growth

Boston, Massachusetts, July 12, 2017 – Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today the appointment of Dr. Mehmood Khan, Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer of PepsiCo, to its Board of Directors. Alongside other members, Dr. Khan will help support the company’s mission with his years of experience leading innovative and sustainable agriculture and nutrition initiatives.

What are the most exciting innovations companies are working on around the world? David Perry, CEO and Director of Indigo Agriculture, participates in an exclusive Q&A with the 2017 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers — a group of 30 global companies who are pioneering technology and innovation.

By David Perry

• The World Economic Forum has announced its selection of the world’s 30 most promising Technology Pioneers of 2017
• Companies were selected for their potential to significantly impact business and society through new technologies, as well as to advance the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• Indigo was chosen for its proven potential to transform agriculture in a way that supports growers, consumers, and the environment
• The full list of recognized Technology Pioneers can be viewed here

Boston, Massachusetts, June 14, 2017 – Indigo, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, was chosen among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers,” a selection of the world’s most innovative companies. A mission-driven company, Indigo is bringing naturally derived products to market that allow for crops to better withstand environmental stress, while also engaging in a shared-risk business model with farmers to improve grower profitability worldwide.

By Ben Potter

• The Indigo Partners™ program gives growers access to innovative ag technologies, including Indigo’s microbial products
• With partner growers, Indigo will assess, validate, and determine the impact of new technologies based on field data and grower experience
• This program will serve as a broad-reaching R&D platform for growers and innovators in the agriculture industry

Boston, Massachusetts, April 25, 2017 –Indigo, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, today announced the launch of Indigo Partners™. The 2017 program involves collaborating with 25 leading growers and agronomic experts across the United States to evaluate agricultural technologies, including Indigo’s microbial seed treatments, on over 15,000 acres. The Indigo Partners program shares company success with growers through equity grants. With the data and insights gathered from growers’ fields, Indigo aims to bring products to market that will profoundly improve both grower profitability and the way that seven billion people are fed. 

By Gerard Keating, Chief Technology Officer

I am very excited to be part of such a world-class team, focused on the company’s mission to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. One of the compelling reasons for me when I decided to join the company was Indigo’s unique position through the Indigo Partners™ program to create a digital and data-focused software platform and a set of agricultural solutions to help growers increase their profitability and harvest through data-driven decisions. And, through the Partners program and our other farming partners, Indigo has significant advantages in building a digitally focused agriculture company in what is traditionally an analog space.

By David Perry

Today, we announced the launch of Indigo Partners™, a program that enables Indigo and growers to test new technologies together. With Indigo Partners, we seek to discover and launch innovations that will improve farmer profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health worldwide.

• Accomplished executives bring additional expertise in agriculture, technology, and food

Boston, Massachusetts, April 3, 2017 - Indigo, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces today the appointment of three new senior executive leaders reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer and Director David Perry. Indigo also announces the appointment of John Gehring, former Chief Financial Officer of Conagra Brands, to its Board of Directors. New team members bring deep and diverse experience, and strengthen the organization capabilities in agriculture, technology, and food.

By Barry Knight

Farmers face a profitability challenge.

Most people don’t think that farmers make much money. It’s true – farming’s margins are slim.

Yet revenues from crops and products derived from crops power multiple industries across the United States.

For farmers, unfortunately, the margins are so slim that they can go from profitable to unprofitable if the weather changes.

By Alexandra Ossola

View the interview with Greg Sword, professor of entomology at Texas A&M, on KBTX.

• Beneficial microbes—referred to as endophytes—are sourced in nature and can be re-introduced into the plant through seed coating to improve plant health in agriculture      
• Researchers at Indigo and the Austrian Institute of Technology demonstrated that a novel spray technique on flowers enables the transfer of beneficial microbes into its seeds     
• The plants grown from the seeds produced by the treated flowers demonstrated improved growth and increased yield 

Boston, Massachusetts, February 28, 2017 - Indigo, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help growers sustainably feed the planet, announced today the publication of research to improve the microbiome of crop plants. Plants depend upon a complex environment that contains beneficial bacteria and fungi for healthy growth and development. Some microbes that live within the plant itself are known as ‘endophytes’ and are fundamental to the health of plants. Until now, data have shown that these beneficial microbes can be incorporated into plants via association with the soil, or by coating endophytes directly onto seeds.  

By Eric Jeck

The economics of farming are increasingly tilted against the grower.

Growers invest heavily upfront in land, equipment, labor and expensive inputs including seed, chemistry and fertilizer, typically borrowing to do so. They then do their best to manage through whatever weather (or other environmental conditions) impact how much of a crop their fields produce. Ultimately, the value of their crop fluctuates meaningfully with dynamic commodity prices. Growers assume most of the risk in what is typically a leveraged business model with highly variable outcomes.

By Clive Cookson

• Indigo™ Cotton demonstrated an average yield improvement of 11% in the target environment of West Texas
• Farmers experienced productivity gains in diverse growing conditions without increased use of water or agricultural chemicals
• Novel R&D platform and economic proposition enable continuous innovation in cotton and other crops

Boston, Massachusetts, January 9, 2017 - Indigo, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help growers sustainably feed the planet, announced preliminary data from its first commercial product, Indigo™ Cotton. Launched in the spring of 2016 on approximately 50,000 acres across multiple states, Indigo Cotton is a seed treatment based on naturally occurring, in-plant microbes (endophytes). Indigo Cotton has been developed to help increase water use efficiency, with the goal of improving yields when plants are growing under water stress.

By David Perry

Today, we are sharing the data from the commercial launch of our first product, Indigo™ Cotton.

I’m pleased to report that the commercial data indicate that Indigo Cotton led to an 11% yield increase in the target geography of West Texas, a region that produces nearly half of all US cotton. Based on our research, we had previously set the expectation of a 10% yield increase. It is inspiring to meet and exceed that expectation at large-scale, across more than 40,000 acres.

At the former Hood dairy plant, scientists working for Indigo Agriculture are trying to coax bacteria and fungi to produce supercharged versions of everyday plants. If they succeed, farmers could begin harvesting crops that require less water and fewer pesticides, all without having to mess with a plant’s DNA. There’s a lot of money betting they can pull it off.

At Indigo, we seek to partner with academic institutions worldwide in their research dedicated to the plant microbiome. These partnerships are essential as we work to bring innovative microbial products to growers. We are always eager to expand our network of academic collaborators, and are excited to share this news of our recent partnership with Flinders University in South Australia.

By Sarah Zhang