Sentera
Sentera builds AI-powered drone sensors and the FieldAgent analytics platform that deliver plant-level crop insights, including its SMARTSCRIPT Weeds precision herbicide prescription system, to farmers, ag retailers, agronomists, and agriscience companies across 74 countries; acquired by John Deere in May 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Sentera does
Sentera, founded in 2014 in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a precision agriculture technology company that combines proprietary drone-mounted sensors, aerial imagery capture, and AI/ML analytics to deliver plant-level crop insights. Its vertically integrated technology stack includes the 6X multispectral sensor, the 65R high-resolution RGB sensor, and the PixelScout 4.0 direct-georeferencing payload that captures imagery at 1.5mm resolution and 140 acres per hour without image stitching. The FieldAgent platform processes imagery into analytics such as stand count, tassel count, weed species identification, and crop health, while SMARTSCRIPT Weeds generates targeted herbicide spray prescriptions within 24 hours of flight for integration with John Deere ExactApply, Raven Hawkeye 2, and Capstan PinPoint III nozzle-control systems.
The company monetizes through four streams: hardware sales (sensors, RTK/PPK modules, reflectance panels), FieldAgent SaaS subscriptions, professional flight services (data capture, GCP installation, pilot training), and per-acre prescription/transaction fees for SMARTSCRIPT Weeds. Pricing is largely quote-based and SKU-tiered (plot-scale, field-scale, mosaic, flight services) with multi-year enterprise contracts. The go-to-market combines direct e-commerce, OEM sales to drone manufacturers (DJI, FreeFly, Inspired Flight), and increasingly ag-retail channel partnerships, with strategic Early Access Programs used to validate products at scale prior to commercial rollout.
Sentera serves a hybrid customer base including row-crop farmers, agricultural retailers and cooperatives, agronomists and crop advisors, agriscience companies, and enterprise food companies, operating across 74 countries. The company holds 13 patents including Spot Scout Technology (U.S. Patent 11,301,957). In May 2025, Sentera was acquired by John Deere to integrate its aerial scouting and SMARTSCRIPT Weeds capabilities into John Deere Operations Center and the See & Spray technology suite, while continuing to supply cameras to drone OEMs and serve farmer, agronomist, and ag-retail customers directly.
Sentera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sentera
- Legal name
- Sentera, Inc.
- Website
- https://sentera.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Sentera builds AI-powered drone sensors and the FieldAgent analytics platform that deliver plant-level crop insights, including its SMARTSCRIPT Weeds precision herbicide prescription system, to farmers, ag retailers, agronomists, and agriscience companies across 74 countries; acquired by John Deere in May 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sentera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Agriculture Technology
- NAICS
- Farm Management Services (115116)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Drone/UAV Data Capture & Processing Software (AFAAAFAH), Crop Scouting & Pest/Disease Detection (Digital Scouting, Computer Vision, Alerts) (AFAGALAI), Drone/UAS Application Services (Spraying, Spreading, Seeding) (AFACAIAB), Aerial Pesticide/Herbicide/Fungicide Application (AFACAIAE)
Keywords
Where Sentera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sentera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of proprietary sensors (6X, 65R, Double 4K, Single Sensor), drones (PHX Fixed Wing), RTK/PPK modules, and calibrated reflectance panels to farmers, agronomists, and drone operators.
- Software/SaaS (FieldAgent): Subscription-based analytics platform providing plot and field-scale analytics including stand count, crop health, weed detection, mosaic processing, and enterprise analytics. Requires FieldAgent license for processing.
- Flight Services: Professional data capture services including enterprise analytic data capture, SMARTSCRIPT Weeds data capture, ground control point installation, sprayer GPS calibration, and pilot training.
- Prescription Services: SMARTSCRIPT Weeds prescription generation for targeted herbicide application, delivered through precision sprayers with nozzle-by-nozzle control.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Plot Trial Analytics - Individual product SKUs for research-scale measurements |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Field Scale Analytics - Field-scale measurement products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Flight Services - Data capture and training services |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Analytics - Contract-defined custom products |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | SMARTSCRIPT Weeds - Precision weed management solution |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Sentera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sentera designs and sells drone-based remote sensing hardware (PixelScout, 6X, 65R sensors) and AI-powered analytics software (FieldAgent) that convert high-resolution aerial imagery into plant-level agronomic insights. Its flagship offering, SMARTSCRIPT Weeds, generates targeted herbicide prescriptions from drone imagery within 24 hours, reducing herbicide use by up to 70%. The company serves farmers, ag retailers, agronomists, and agriscience firms through direct sales, ag-retail channels, and OEM integrations, and was acquired by John Deere in May 2025.
Product overview
Sentera offers a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its FieldAgent analytics platform and SMARTSCRIPT Weeds product. The core offering combines proprietary drone sensors (PixelScout, 6X, 65R), AI-powered analytics software (FieldAgent), and the SMARTSCRIPT Weeds precision spraying solution. PixelScout is a high-performance drone imaging payload purpose-built for SMARTSCRIPT workflows, featuring dual 65MP cameras with RTK GPS and direct georeferencing. The 6X and 65R sensors are multispectral and RGB imaging solutions. FieldAgent processes aerial imagery to deliver stand counts, crop health analysis, weed detection, and tassel counts. SMARTSCRIPT Weeds generates targeted herbicide prescriptions from drone imagery within 24 hours. Flight Services provides professional data capture, training, and calibration. Analytics are delivered through Plot Analytics and Field Scale Analytics modules covering crop health, canopy measurements, and weed management. The company was acquired by John Deere in May 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FieldAgent™: Precision agriculture insights platform providing digital insights from drones, satellites, weather, soil and field operations data for optimized crop decisions.
- SMARTSCRIPT™ Weeds
- PixelScout™
Products and services
- SMARTSCRIPT Weeds Precision weed management solution that uses drone-based high-resolution imagery and AI-powered weed detection to generate targeted herbicide prescriptions within 24 hours of flight. Enables farmers and ag retailers to spray only where weeds are present, reducing post-emergence herbicide costs by up to 70% while maintaining broadcast-equivalent weed control.
- FieldAgent Cloud-based agronomic analytics platform that processes drone, satellite, weather, soil, and field operations data to deliver plant-level insights including stand counts, crop health analysis, weed detection, tassel counts, mosaic processing, and prescription generation. Accessible via web and mobile applications and integrates with farm management systems.
- PixelScout High-performance drone imaging payload purpose-built for SMARTSCRIPT workflows, featuring dual 65MP RGB digital global shutter cameras, RTK GPS, high-accuracy IMU, and dual laser rangefinders. Captures 1.5mm per pixel imagery at up to 140 acres per hour using direct georeferencing architecture that eliminates image stitching.
- 6X Sensor Industry-leading multispectral sensor designed for agricultural applications, capable of capturing both standard and advanced wavebands for vegetation analysis. Vertically integrated sensor design and manufacturing, compatible with DJI and Freefly Systems drone platforms.
- 65R Sensor Ultra-high-resolution RGB sensor described as the most productive RGB camera in its class, capturing detailed aerial imagery for agricultural analysis and prescription workflows.
- Flight Services Professional drone flight services including enterprise analytic data capture, SMARTSCRIPT Weeds data capture, ground control point installation, sprayer GPS calibration, and pilot training programs leading to Sentera Certified Remote Pilot certification.
- Plot Analytics FieldAgent analytics SKUs for research-plot-scale measurements including Plot Project Setup, Stand Count with Uniformity, Crop Health, Canopy Cover, Canopy Height, Anomaly Detection, and Maturity Date.
- Field Scale Analytics FieldAgent analytics SKUs for commercial field-scale measurements including Field Scale Project Setup, Stand Count, Tassel Count, Canopy Cover, SMARTSCRIPT Weeds Weed Detection, Lidar Point Cloud, and Elevation.
- Mosaic Products Aerial imagery mosaic products including RGB Mosaic, Precision Aligned RGB Mosaic, Crop Health Mosaic, Multispectral/Thermal Crop Health Mosaic, Elevation Mosaic, and Precision Aligned variants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 70% reduction in post-emergence non-residual herbicide costs
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Sentera
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Sentera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability6 records
Feature6 records
Sentera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- RDO Equipment Co.minorIntegration demonstration showing how Sentera drone tech combined with John Deere equipment delivers better field prescriptions for precision agriculture.
- John DeerecoreAcquired by John Deere in May 2025 to integrate aerial field scouting into John Deere's technology suite. Sentera's cameras and FieldAgent software to be integrated with John Deere Operations Center and See & Spray technology. Deal includes continued supply of cameras to drone manufacturers and direct sales to farmers, agronomists, and ag retailers.
- Capstan AgcoreStrategic partnership integrating SMARTSCRIPT Weeds prescriptions with Capstan's PinPoint III Envel system for nozzle-by-nozzle weed control. Joint development of Spot Spray Control Module enabling 1.5-foot spray zones (vs 7-10 feet typical). From handshake to in-field validation in seven months. Field trials demonstrated 97% hit rate at 12 and 18 mph speeds.
- OEM and Input Manufacturer PartnerscoreEarly Access Program 2025 collaboration with OEMs, input manufacturers representing more than two-thirds of U.S. corn and soybean seed market and more than half of U.S. agricultural equipment market.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sentera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sentera social profiles
Digital presenceSentera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sentera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Sentera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sentera M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sentera
What does Sentera do?
Sentera designs and sells drone-based remote sensing hardware (PixelScout, 6X, 65R sensors) and AI-powered analytics software (FieldAgent) that convert high-resolution aerial imagery into plant-level agronomic insights. Its flagship offering, SMARTSCRIPT Weeds, generates targeted herbicide prescriptions from drone imagery within 24 hours, reducing herbicide use by up to 70%. The company serves farmers, ag retailers, agronomists, and agriscience firms through direct sales, ag-retail channels, and OEM integrations, and was acquired by John Deere in May 2025.
Is Sentera a public or private company?
Sentera is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Sentera founded?
Sentera was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Sentera based?
Sentera is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sentera make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are software/SaaS (FieldAgent), flight Services and prescription Services.
Does Sentera have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sentera.
What industry is Sentera in?
Sentera's product category is Precision Agriculture Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACAIAJ, Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts), with a secondary code of AFAAAFAH, Drone/UAV Data Capture & Processing Software. Its NAICS code is 115116 and its SIC code is 700.