What Guss Automation does

Guss Automation, LLC is a Kingsburg, California-based manufacturer of supervised autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers serving high-value crop growers and agricultural service providers. The company builds the GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) platform, which combines GPS, LiDAR, vehicle sensors, and proprietary software to navigate orchards and vineyards without an onboard operator, supplemented by Select Spray computer-vision technology that adjusts application rates based on tree canopy characteristics. Its product portfolio includes the standard GUSS, the smaller Mini GUSS for high-density orchards, vineyards, and berries, and the Herbicide GUSS for precision weed control. GUSS also offers a Safety Vest system, a remote monitoring interface allowing a single operator to oversee up to eight machines simultaneously, and integration with John Deere Operations Center for farm data management.

Guss Automation sells exclusively through an authorized dealer network spanning the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast of the United States as well as Australia, positioning it as a B2B capital equipment business targeting large commercial orchards, vineyards, and contract spray operators. The company's stated installed base exceeds 250 machines deployed globally, with cumulative operating metrics of 2.6 million acres sprayed and more than 500,000 autonomous hours. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of sprayers and, to a lesser extent, software and monitoring services, with claimed operator ROI of one to three years and demonstrated productivity gains such as a 20% increase in area covered (cited by Olam International) versus conventional spraying methods.

Founded out of Crinklaw Farm Services in 1982, GUSS began feasibility work on unmanned spraying in 2007 and built its first commercial units following prototype development that accelerated in 2014. GUSS Automation, LLC was formally established as a separate entity in 2017, with first commercial deliveries in 2019. John Deere entered a joint venture with GUSS in 2022 and completed a full acquisition in August 2025; GUSS now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deere & Company, retaining its brand, employees, and Kingsburg manufacturing facility while gaining access to John Deere's global dealer network and precision-agriculture ecosystem.

Name

Guss Automation

Legal name

GUSS Automation, LLC

Website

https://gussag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Guss Automation manufactures supervised autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers (GPS, LiDAR, computer vision) for high-value crop growers and agricultural service providers, selling through authorized dealers in North America and Australia and now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of John Deere following its August 2025 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Automation Equipment

NAICS

Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Autonomous/Robotic Crop Protection Applicators (UGVs, Smart Sprayers) (AFAAADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Field & Orchard Sprayers (Boom, Airblast, Spot Sprayers) (AFAAADAA), Crop Protection & Application Equipment (Sprayers/Spreaders) (IMAHACAC), Sprayer Calibration, Testing & Drift-Reduction Technology (Sensors, Shields, Adjuvant Dosing) (AFAAADAI)

Keywords

• Autonomous orchard sprayers
• Precision agriculture equipment
• Unmanned spray systems
• Agricultural automation hardware
• GPS-guided sprayers

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Autonomous Sprayer Hardware Sales: Sale of autonomous sprayer machines including GUSS (standard), Mini GUSS (25% smaller for high-density orchards), and Herbicide GUSS. One-time capital equipment purchase with estimated ROI of 1-3 years for operators.
2. Software and Monitoring Services: Proprietary software for autonomous operation, route generation, and monitoring. Integration with John Deere Operations Center for data connectivity.
3. Dealer Network Revenue: Authorized dealer network generates revenue through sales, service, and parts for GUSS sprayers across North America and Australia.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GUSS Automation designs, manufactures, and sells autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers — full-size GUSS, compact Mini GUSS, and Herbicide GUSS — that navigate using GPS, LiDAR, vehicle sensors, and proprietary software without an onboard operator. A single remote operator can monitor up to eight machines simultaneously from a laptop; computer-vision-driven Select Spray technology tailors chemical application to each tree canopy, and a wearable safety vest disables the unit when crew members are nearby. Equipment is sold and serviced exclusively through an authorized dealer network across North America and Australia and integrates with John Deere Operations Center.

Product overview

GUSS Automation offers a portfolio of supervised autonomous sprayers for high-value crops (orchards, vineyards, berries). The core product is the GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) platform, which includes the standard full-size model, Mini GUSS for tight-spacing environments, and Herbicide GUSS for targeted weed control. These autonomous sprayers share a common technology foundation (GPS, LiDAR, proprietary software) and enable a single remote operator to monitor multiple machines. The product line also includes Select Spray for precision application control and a Safety Vest system. GUSS products integrate with John Deere Operations Center and are available through an authorized dealer network across North America and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) Full-size autonomous orchard sprayer that uses GPS, LiDAR, vehicle sensors, and proprietary software to navigate and apply chemicals without an onboard operator. Built for standard commercial orchards with adjustable software parameters for precise application rates and speeds.
• Mini GUSS Compact autonomous sprayer built 25% smaller than the standard GUSS, designed for high-density orchards, vineyards, and berries. Offered in Apple Tower and Vineyard Tower configurations tailored to specialized crop environments.
• Herbicide GUSS Autonomous weed detection and spot-spraying system that identifies weeds and targets them precisely to reduce chemical usage and drift, enhancing operator safety and environmental sustainability in orchards and vineyards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% increase in area covered vs conventional methods
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• John DeereflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2025John Deere completed full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC in August/September 2025, building on a joint venture established in 2022. The acquisition expands John Deere's precision agriculture portfolio and U.S. manufacturing footprint in high-value crop autonomy. GUSS retains its name, brand, employees, and Kingsburg manufacturing facility while gaining access to John Deere's global distribution and integration with Smart Apply technology.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• John Deere (Deere & Company): John Deere is GUSS's parent company and the largest agricultural equipment manufacturer globally. They are comparable as the strategic owner and integrator of GUSS's autonomous orchard spraying technology within a broader precision agriculture portfolio.
• AGCO Corporation: AGCO is a global agricultural equipment manufacturer (Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra) with significant precision agriculture and autonomy investments. It is comparable as a broad incumbent racing to integrate autonomous spraying and specialty crop capabilities.
• CNH Industrial: CNH Industrial (Case IH, New Holland, Steyr) is a global agricultural equipment OEM investing heavily in precision agriculture and autonomy. It is comparable as a broad incumbent competitor pursuing autonomous spraying and specialty crop capabilities.

Direct peers

• Smart Apply: Smart Apply makes precision spray technology for orchards and vineyards that uses LiDAR to detect trees and reduce chemical usage. It is directly comparable to GUSS's Select Spray functionality and is even integrated with John Deere's precision agriculture stack.
• Carbon Robotics: Carbon Robotics builds autonomous agricultural robots using computer vision and AI for weed elimination in specialty crops and row crops. It is comparable as a venture-backed agricultural autonomy company targeting specialty crop growers with high labor costs.
• Naio Technologies: Naio Technologies develops autonomous agricultural robots for weeding, hoeing, and spraying in specialty crops and vineyards. It is comparable as an emerging player in agricultural autonomy targeting similar specialty crop segments with labor-driven value propositions.
• Ecorobotix: Ecorobotix builds autonomous precision spraying robots using computer vision to reduce herbicide use by up to 95%. It is comparable as an emerging player in AI-driven selective spraying technology targeting specialty crops and row crops.
• DJI Agras: DJI Agras is the dominant drone-based precision spraying platform used in agriculture globally. It is comparable as a competing autonomous spraying solution, though focused on aerial rather than ground-based deployment in specialty crops.

Emerging players

• Small Robot Company: Small Robot Company builds autonomous agricultural robots for precision weeding, mapping, and spraying in row crops. It is comparable as an emerging agricultural autonomy startup pursuing similar labor-replacement and per-plant precision theses.

Others

• Trimble Agriculture: Trimble provides GPS guidance, precision agriculture, and fleet management software widely used by specialty crop operators. It is comparable as an enabling technology provider in precision spraying workflows rather than a direct autonomous equipment competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GussAutomation
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• Instagraminstagram.com/gussautomation
• Xx.com/gussautomation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guss Automation