SoilEssentials
SoilEssentials is a Scottish precision agriculture company founded in 2000 that develops AI spot spraying (SKAi), autonomous tractors (AgBot), GNSS RTK correction (EssentialsNet), and farm management software (KORE) for arable, grassland, and organic farmers plus agronomists in the UK, Ireland, and Benelux.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersScotland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SoilEssentials does
SoilEssentials is a Scottish precision agriculture company founded in 2000 by three working farmers — Jim Wilson, Robert Ramsay, and Roy Watson — operating from a farm-based headquarters near Brechin, Angus. The company builds and distributes precision farming technology spanning four pillars: SKAi, an AI-powered computer-vision spot spraying system that identifies individual weeds (docks, thistles, volunteer potatoes) in real time and reduces herbicide use by up to 95%; KORE, a cloud-based independent precision farming platform with subscription tiers that consolidates soil sampling, drone and satellite imagery, variable-rate application maps, and a Historic Potential Index derived from multi-year satellite imagery; EssentialsNet, an independent RTK GNSS correction service delivering centimetre-level GPS accuracy; and AgBot, autonomous tractors from AgXeed distributed exclusively in Scotland and Northern England. The company also acts as authorized dealer for PTx Trimble guidance systems and exclusive Scottish reseller for Garford mechanical weed control equipment.
The business operates multiple revenue streams: capital hardware sales (SKAi factory-integrated and retrofit kits, AgBot, Garford, Trimble), recurring subscriptions (KORE software, EssentialsNet RTK), professional services (soil sampling, drone flying, area measuring), and rent-to-buy packages for AgBot. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales from Brechin, an authorized dealer network spanning the UK (Ridgeway Sprayers, JRSW), Ireland (Vantage Ireland), and Benelux (Van Iperen), and a heavy event-driven presence at agricultural shows including Royal Highland Show, AgriScot, LAMMA, AgriTechnica, and ScotGrass. SoilEssentials serves arable farmers, livestock and grassland farmers, agronomists, large-scale operations, and organic/regenerative farmers, and is one of a small set of independents in a market where it can provide technology-agnostic advice. The company is privately held, founder-led, with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds.
SoilEssentials firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SoilEssentials
- Legal name
- SoilEssentials Ltd
- Website
- https://soilessentials.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SoilEssentials is a Scottish precision agriculture company founded in 2000 that develops AI spot spraying (SKAi), autonomous tractors (AgBot), GNSS RTK correction (EssentialsNet), and farm management software (KORE) for arable, grassland, and organic farmers plus agronomists in the UK, Ireland, and Benelux.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SoilEssentials industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Agriculture Technology
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Remote Sensing & Crop Scouting Services (Satellite, Drone Imagery, In‑Field Sensing) (AFACACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Soil Testing & Nutrient Analysis Services (AFACAKAA), Soil & Terrain Mapping Services (EC/EM Scanning, Topography, Zone Delineation) (AFACACAE), Nutrient Management & Fertility Optimization Analytics (AFABAMAJ)
Keywords
Where SoilEssentials is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scotland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SoilEssentials business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SKAi Spot Spraying Systems: Sale of SKAi spot spraying systems available as factory-integrated solutions on 12m, 15m, or 24m mounted sprayers, or as retrofit kits for existing sprayers. Revenue from initial equipment sale plus ongoing support contracts.
- AgBot Autonomous Tractors: Sale and distribution of AgXeed AgBot autonomous tractors exclusively in Scotland and Northern England. Also offers rent-to-buy packages for customer flexibility.
- AgBot Rental: Flexible rent-to-buy packages allowing customers to trial AgBot before purchase commitment.
- KORE Software Platform: Subscription-based precision farming portal with three tiers (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced). Includes soil sampling data management, crop monitoring, yield mapping, and custom branding options.
- EssentialsNet RTK Subscription: Annual subscription for RTK correction service providing centimetre-level GPS accuracy. Includes SIM card, setup, training, and 24/7 support.
- Soil Sampling Services: Professional soil sampling service using GPS-enabled equipment. Includes sample collection, lab analysis, and reporting. Results accessible via KORE platform.
- Drone Flying Services: Professional drone flying service capturing high-resolution aerial imagery of farmland for crop monitoring and analysis.
- Area Measuring Services: GPS field area measuring service using handheld Trimble devices with RTK correction for subsidy applications and land planning.
- Garford Farm Machinery: Sale of Garford mechanical weed control equipment including band sprayers, hooded sprayers, RoboCrop InRow Weeder, and guided hoes. Exclusive reseller in Scotland.
- PTx Trimble Products: Sale of PTx Trimble guidance and steering systems including GFX displays, NAV receivers, and steering systems. Authorized dealer for Scotland and Northern England.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | KORE Basic - Entry-level precision farming portal |
| Subscription | Annual | KORE Intermediate - Growing businesses |
| Subscription | Annual | KORE Advanced - Large enterprises |
| Subscription | Annual | EssentialsNet RTK Annual Subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | AgBot Purchase |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | AgBot Rent-to-Buy |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | SKAi Spot Spraying Systems |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels13 records
SoilEssentials product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SoilEssentials is a Scottish precision agriculture company that develops, distributes, and supports AI-powered spot spraying systems (SKAi), autonomous tractors (AgBot), precision farming software (KORE), and RTK GPS correction services (EssentialsNet). The company also provides soil sampling, drone imagery, and area measuring agronomy services, and resells PTx Trimble guidance systems and Garford mechanical weed control equipment to farmers and agronomists across the UK, Ireland, and Benelux.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SKAi: AI-powered spot spraying system that identifies and targets weeds in real-time, reducing chemical use by up to 95%. Award-winning technology with Gold and Silver RHASS Technical Innovation Awards.
- KORE
- AgBot
- EssentialsNet
Products and services
- SKAi Spot Spraying System AI-powered camera-based spot spraying system that detects and targets individual weeds in real time using green-on-green AI, applying herbicide only where needed via GPS-coordinate-triggered nozzle control. Available as factory-integrated sprayers (12m, 15m, 24m) or retrofit kits for existing sprayers. Designed for arable and grassland farmers and contractors seeking to reduce chemical use by up to 95%.
- AgBot Autonomous Tractor Fully autonomous tractor (AgXeed AgBot) distributed exclusively in Scotland and Northern England for soil preparation, seedbed cultivation, seeding, and other fieldwork without an onboard driver. Uses precision GPS guidance, RTK correction, Lidar detection, front and rear cameras, and TraXwise monitoring. Offers up to 20 hours of non-stop operation and up to 2,000 operating hours per year.
- KORE Precision Farming Platform Cloud-based precision farming software platform that consolidates soil sampling data, lab reports, drone imagery, satellite imagery, and client information. Supports variable rate applications for nitrogen, seed, lime, P, and K, plus the Historic Potential Index (HPI) feature. Sold as a three-tier annual subscription (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) with white-label customization options for agronomy businesses.
- EssentialsNet RTK Correction Service Independent GNSS RTK correction service delivering centimetre-level GPS accuracy across the UK. Sold as an annual subscription with dual redundancy backup, SIM card, setup, training, and 24/7 support. Compatible with multiple brand receivers and farm machinery including PTx Trimble, Garford, and AgBot. Bespoke sliding scale pricing is offered for multiple vehicles.
- PTx Trimble Guidance and Steering Systems Sale of PTx Trimble precision agriculture hardware including GFX displays, NAV receivers, and steering systems, plus compatible Field-IQ section control and precision planter/air seeder management. SoilEssentials operates as an authorized PTx Trimble dealer for Scotland and Northern England.
- Garford Mechanical Weed Control Equipment Sale of Garford Farm Machinery mechanical weed control equipment including band sprayers, hooded sprayers, the RoboCrop InRow Weeder, and guided hoes. SoilEssentials is the exclusive Scottish reseller. Designed for farmers seeking reduced-chemical or chemical-free weed control.
- Soil Sampling Service Professional GPS-enabled soil sampling service including sample collection, laboratory analysis, and reporting, with results delivered through the KORE platform. Includes the specialist GrassRight service designed for livestock and grassland farmers.
- Drone Flying Service Professional drone flying service that captures high-resolution aerial imagery of farmland for crop monitoring, variability analysis, and planning. Imagery integrates into the KORE platform for further analysis and variable rate application mapping.
- Area Measuring Service GPS field area measuring service using handheld Trimble devices with RTK correction for subsidy applications, land planning, and precision record-keeping.
Quantifiable outcome
- SKAi reduces chemical use by up to 95% compared to blanket spraying
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use SoilEssentials
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SoilEssentials technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability11 records
Feature9 records
SoilEssentials partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AgXeedcoreAgXeed, based in the Netherlands, is the developer of the AgBot autonomous tractor. SoilEssentials is the exclusive distributor for AgBot in Scotland and Northern England. The partnership combines AgXeed's autonomous technology with SoilEssentials's local support and aftercare services.
- Van IperencoreVan Iperen is the authorized SKAi dealer for the Benelux region (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg). The partnership extends SKAi spot spraying technology to farmers in the Benelux countries.
- Ridgeway Sprayers LtdcoreRidgeway Sprayers Ltd is the authorized SKAi dealer for the UK market, offering demonstrations and sales of SKAi spot spraying systems.
- Vantage IrelandcoreVantage Ireland is the authorized SKAi dealer for Ireland, providing spot spraying technology to Irish farmers.
- JRSWcoreJRSW is an authorized SKAi dealer in the UK market, distributing spot spraying technology.
- PTx TrimblecorePTx Trimble is a globally trusted name in precision agriculture. SoilEssentials is an authorized dealer for PTx Trimble products including GFX displays, NAV receivers, and steering systems across Scotland and Northern England. Products are fully compatible with EssentialsNet RTK correction service.
- Garford Farm MachinerycoreGarford Farm Machinery, based in the UK since 1986, is a world-leading brand for precision weed control and row crop equipment. SoilEssentials is Scotland's exclusive reseller for Garford products including band sprayers, hooded sprayers, RoboCrop InRow Weeder, and guided hoes.
- Highlands and Islands EnterpriseminorHighlands and Islands Enterprise supported the adoption of SKAi technology in Orkney, helping fund the first SKAi system delivery to Marty Hay of J&S Hay in Orkney.
- Linklater EngineeringminorLinklater Engineering supplied and supported the first SKAi 15m spot spraying system delivered to Orkney.
- PCN Action Scotland Programme PartnersminorMulti-partner knowledge exchange programme funded by Scottish Government. Partners include The James Hutton Institute, SAC Consulting, SRUC, Scottish Agronomy, BIOSS, the Plant Health Centre, and SASA. SoilEssentials contributes expertise in precision farming solutions for PCN management.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SoilEssentials competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AgXeed: Netherlands-based developer of the AgBot autonomous tractor. SoilEssentials is its exclusive distributor in Scotland and Northern England, making AgXeed the technology partner behind one of SoilEssentials' flagship product lines.
- Hummingbird Technologies: UK-based precision agriculture company using satellite and drone imagery with AI analytics for crop monitoring, similar to SoilEssentials' KORE platform and drone flying services. Operates in adjacent imaging-driven precision ag niche.
- Drone AG: UK precision agriculture company specializing in drone-based crop scouting, variable rate applications, and farm analytics. Direct overlap with SoilEssentials' drone flying service and KORE imagery integration capabilities.
- Naio Technologies: French agricultural robotics company producing autonomous weeding robots. Comparable to SoilEssentials' SKAi and Garford mechanical weeding offerings in targeting reduced-chemical and autonomous weed control.
- Small Robot Company: UK precision agriculture startup developing AI-driven farming robots for weeding and crop scouting. Operates in the same British AI-for-agriculture category as SoilEssentials, focused on small autonomous robots for sustainable farming.
- Ecorobotix: Swiss developer of AI-powered precision weeding robots and high-precision spraying systems. Competes with SoilEssentials' SKAi in the chemical-reduction spot spraying category across European markets.
Broad incumbents
- AGCO: Global agricultural equipment manufacturer with precision farming brands including Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and PTx Trimble. Competes in autonomous tractors (Fendt autonomous) and AI-driven precision spraying at global scale.
- John Deere: Global agricultural equipment leader investing heavily in precision agriculture, AI weed detection (via Blue River Technology acquisition), and autonomous tractors. Competes with SoilEssentials' AgBot and SKAi offerings through integrated farm solutions.
- Trimble Agriculture (PTx Trimble): Global leader in GPS guidance, positioning, and precision agriculture software and hardware. SoilEssentials is also an authorized dealer for PTx Trimble products, creating both partnership and competitive overlap in the precision ag ecosystem.
- Climate FieldView (Bayer): Bayer-owned digital agriculture platform providing satellite imagery, field analytics, and variable rate applications globally. Competes with SoilEssentials' KORE platform as a much larger incumbent with broader international scale.
Market position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SoilEssentials social profiles
Digital presenceSoilEssentials financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SoilEssentials leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
SoilEssentials funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SoilEssentials 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 SoilEssentials
What does SoilEssentials do?
SoilEssentials is a Scottish precision agriculture company that develops, distributes, and supports AI-powered spot spraying systems (SKAi), autonomous tractors (AgBot), precision farming software (KORE), and RTK GPS correction services (EssentialsNet). The company also provides soil sampling, drone imagery, and area measuring agronomy services, and resells PTx Trimble guidance systems and Garford mechanical weed control equipment to farmers and agronomists across the UK, Ireland, and Benelux.
Is SoilEssentials a public or private company?
SoilEssentials is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SoilEssentials founded?
SoilEssentials was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SoilEssentials based?
SoilEssentials is headquartered in Scotland, United States, in the North America region.
How does SoilEssentials make money?
Ten revenue lines are on record. SKAi Spot Spraying Systems are the primary driver. The others are agBot Autonomous Tractors, agBot Rental, KORE Software Platform, essentialsNet RTK Subscription, soil Sampling Services, drone Flying Services, area Measuring Services, garford Farm Machinery and PTx Trimble Products.
Who are SoilEssentials's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AgXeed, Hummingbird Technologies, Drone AG, Naio Technologies, Small Robot Company and Ecorobotix. Broad incumbents are AGCO, John Deere, Trimble Agriculture (PTx Trimble) and Climate FieldView (Bayer).
Does SoilEssentials have an API?
No public API is recorded for SoilEssentials.
What industry is SoilEssentials in?
SoilEssentials's product category is Precision Agriculture Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACACAA, Remote Sensing & Crop Scouting Services (Satellite, Drone Imagery, In‑Field Sensing), with a secondary code of AFACAKAA, Soil Testing & Nutrient Analysis Services. Its NAICS code is 11511 and its SIC code is 700.