Pheno-Inspect
Pheno-Inspect is a German AgTech company that provides AI-powered drone imagery analysis for precision agriculture, serving individual farmers via FarmAnalyzer SaaS and agricultural enterprises (seed and crop protection companies) via PlantAnalyzer for automated field trial phenotyping.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersRuhrort, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Pheno-Inspect does
Pheno-Inspect GmbH is a German AgTech company founded in 2020 as a spin-off from the DFG Exzellenzcluster PhenoRob at the University of Bonn. The company builds an AI-powered drone imagery analysis platform that converts standard DJI drone flights into agronomic insights (plant counts, weed and disease detection, crop stress scoring, emergence assessment) and generates ISOBUS-compatible application maps for precision spraying and fertilization. Its product stack comprises FarmAnalyzer (a self-service SaaS platform for farmers, available in free and EUR 50/year PRO tiers), PlantAnalyzer (an enterprise SaaS for seed and crop protection companies running automated field trials), AutoPilot (automated flight control), EcoMapping and PremiumMapping (efficiency- vs. precision-oriented processing tiers), SpotCheck (scouting analysis), SprayerCheck (equipment validation), and CustomAI (bespoke computer vision model development for specialty crops).
The company operates a hybrid commercial model: PLG/self-service SaaS for individual farmers alongside enterprise SaaS and project-based CustomAI engagements for B2B customers. Go-to-market combines direct digital onboarding (farm.phenoinspect.com), strategic partnerships with agricultural machinery OEMs (notably CLAAS, which participated as a strategic investor in the EUR 500K February 2026 seed round led by NRW.BANK), and branch cooperation agreements with Amazone, DJI Enterprise, Globe Flight, and multiple German research institutions. Co-founders Dr. Philipp Lottes (CEO), Dr. Josef Exler (CGO since January 2026, formerly at Bayer Digital Farming), and Prof. Dr. Cyrill Stachniss (scientific advisor and PhenoRob spokesperson) lead a team of 11–50 employees based in Mülheim an der Ruhr, with engineering presence in Düsseldorf.
After years of R&D-heavy operation serving enterprise seed and crop protection clients, Pheno-Inspect is now commercially launching to the German farmer market and preparing a broader European rollout. The company is EU-hosted and GDPR-compliant, competes on a 90% reduction in data acquisition cost versus specialized drone systems, and reports that 9,000+ AI analyses and 60+ computer vision models have been deployed to date. Current geographic footprint covers Germany with named served markets in the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy, and Belgium.
Pheno-Inspect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pheno-Inspect
- Legal name
- Pheno-Inspect GmbH
- Website
- https://phenoinspect.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pheno-Inspect is a German AgTech company that provides AI-powered drone imagery analysis for precision agriculture, serving individual farmers via FarmAnalyzer SaaS and agricultural enterprises (seed and crop protection companies) via PlantAnalyzer for automated field trial phenotyping.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pheno-Inspect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Agriculture Software
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Phenotyping Technologies & Services (Field/Controlled Environment) (AFABALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Drone/UAV Data Capture & Processing Software (AFAAAFAH), Remote Sensing & Imagery Analytics (Satellite, Drone, Aerial) (AFABAMAB), Remote Sensing & Imaging (Satellite, UAV/Drone, Aerial, Multispectral/Hyperspectral) (AFAGALAC)
Keywords
Where Pheno-Inspect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ruhrort
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Pheno-Inspect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel
Revenue model
- FarmAnalyzer™ SaaS Subscription: Annual subscription for farmers accessing AI-powered field analysis through the FarmAnalyzer™ platform. Includes credit for initial analyses. Self-service model with browser-based access.
- PlantAnalyzer™ Enterprise SaaS: Commercial solutions for leading seed and plant protection companies, delivering automation, standardization, and AI-powered analysis for professional, high-resolution field trials. Revenue from enterprise subscriptions and project-based engagements.
- CustomAI™ Model Development: Custom AI model training for specific customer requirements including specialty crops, unique traits, or experimental indices. Additional revenue stream for specialized agricultural needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | FarmAnalyzer™ PRO annual subscription for farmers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Pheno-Inspect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pheno-Inspect develops and sells AI-powered SaaS platforms that analyze drone-captured field imagery to count plants, detect weeds and diseases, and generate prescription application maps for precision agriculture. The company offers two distinct products: FarmAnalyzer™ for individual farmers as a self-service platform, and PlantAnalyzer™ for agricultural enterprises and research organizations running high-resolution field trials. Solutions are delivered through an EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant cloud, are compatible with standard DJI drones, and produce ISOBUS-compatible application maps usable with major field sprayer brands.
Product overview
Pheno-Inspect offers a unified platform architecture centered on AI-powered drone imagery analysis for precision agriculture. The core FarmAnalyzer platform serves farmers directly with end-to-end field analysis from drone capture through prescription map delivery, while PlantAnalyzer provides the same AI infrastructure for enterprise research and field trials. Key supporting technologies include AutoPilot (automated drone control), EcoMapping/PremiumMapping (efficiency vs. precision modes), SpotCheck (scouting analysis), CustomAI (custom model training), and SprayerCheck (equipment validation). The FarmAnalyzer PRO subscription unlocks full AI analysis capabilities. Both platforms are EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant, and operate without requiring expensive specialized hardware—compatible with standard DJI drones and ISOBUS-compatible sprayers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FarmAnalyzer™: AI-powered digital agronom platform for farmers — provides automatic plant counting, weed detection, stress assessment, and application maps for spray and fertilizer equipment. Available in Free and Pro versions.
- PlantAnalyzer™
- AutoPilot™
- EcoMapping™
- PremiumMapping™
- SpotCheck™
- CustomAI™
- SprayerCheck™
- FarmAnalyzer™ PRO
Products and services
- FarmAnalyzer Browser-based self-service SaaS platform for individual farmers that converts drone flights into AI-powered digital field walks, automatically counting plants, detecting weeds, estimating crop stress, and producing ISOBUS-compatible spray and fertilizer prescription maps throughout the season.
- PlantAnalyzer Enterprise-grade self-service platform for seed companies, plant protection companies, and research organizations running high-resolution field trials, providing automated phenotyping, emergence vigor scoring, flowering phenology monitoring, time-series trait analysis, and disease and stress response quantification at industrial scale.
- CustomAI Standalone custom AI model training service for organizations that need computer vision models for specialty crops, unique pests or diseases, or experimental trait indices that go beyond the standard Pheno-Inspect AI model library.
Quantifiable outcome
- Herbicide reduction of up to 80% with precision application maps
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Pheno-Inspect
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pheno-Inspect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability4 records
Feature10 records
Pheno-Inspect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CLAAScoreAgricultural machinery company CLAAS participated in the seed financing round as a strategic partner alongside NRW.BANK and private investors. CLAAS is a leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery.
- DFG Exzellenzcluster PhenoRobcorePheno-Inspect was founded from the DFG Exzellenzcluster PhenoRob at the University of Bonn - Germany's leading research center for robotics and AI in agriculture. Prof. Dr. Cyrill Stachniss serves as scientific advisor.
- DJI EnterprisecoreDJI Enterprise is shown as a partner. DJI drones (Mavic 3 Enterprise, Matrice 4E) are the recommended hardware platform for Pheno-Inspect solutions.
- Leibniz Zentrum Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF)minorResearch institution partner shown as part of Pheno-Inspect's branch cooperation network.
- University of BonncoreFounding institution and ongoing research partner. Pheno-Inspect was founded from the DFG Exzellenzcluster PhenoRob at University of Bonn.
- University of GöttingenminorResearch institution partner shown as part of Pheno-Inspect's branch cooperation network.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Pheno-Inspect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Climate FieldView (Bayer): Bayer's flagship digital-agriculture platform with satellite/drone imagery, prescription mapping, and farm data management. Largest incumbent in precision-ag SaaS; serves overlapping farmers with bundled seeds/crop-protection, putting pricing pressure on standalone platforms like Pheno-Inspect.
- Trimble Agriculture: Trimble's ag division offers precision-ag software, guidance, and analytics including satellite/aerial imagery integrations. Broad portfolio competing indirectly with Pheno-Inspect through farm-management platforms and OEM partnerships.
- John Deere Operations Center: John Deere's connected-farm platform with imagery analytics, prescription mapping, and ISOBUS integrations across Deere equipment. Bundled with the world's largest ag-machinery installed base — a key incumbent comparator given Pheno-Inspect's ISOBUS positioning.
- DJI Agriculture: Drone OEM DJI's agriculture line (Agras series, DJI Terra, Mavic 3 Enterprise) provides both hardware and increasingly software-based analytics. Critical ecosystem dependency and adjacent competitor to Pheno-Inspect, given AutoPilot is built around DJI drones.
Direct peers
- Pix4D: Swiss drone-mapping and photogrammetry software (Pix4Dfields) used in agriculture for crop analysis, plant counting, and prescription maps. Directly comparable drone-imagery analysis layer used by Pheno-Inspect customers and competitors.
- Gamaya: Swiss precision-ag company using drone-mounted hyperspectral imaging and AI for crop monitoring and phenotyping. Directly comparable technology stack and use cases (crop health, prescription maps) to Pheno-Inspect, with the same European ag-customer footprint.
- Taranis: Israel/US-based AI-powered aerial imagery and crop intelligence platform for farms and agribusinesses. Most direct head-to-head competitor, offering leaf-level disease/weed/pest detection and prescription maps using drone and aerial imagery — overlapping precisely with FarmAnalyzer and PlantAnalyzer.
- xFarm Technologies: European ag-tech SaaS platform providing farm management, satellite/drone imagery, and sustainability analytics. Competes with Pheno-Inspect in the farmer SaaS layer for digitizing agronomic decisions across European arable farms.
Emerging players
- Solorrow: European drone-based agricultural services and analytics provider focused on crop monitoring and variable-rate application. Competes in adjacent use cases (aerial scouting, prescription maps) for European arable customers.
- Arable Labs: US-based crop intelligence and weather platform combining in-field sensors with imagery analytics. Overlaps with Pheno-Inspect on data-driven agronomic decisions and prescription-mapping for enterprise ag-input customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pheno-Inspect social profiles
Digital presencePheno-Inspect compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Pheno-Inspect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pheno-Inspect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Pheno-Inspect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pheno-Inspect 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 Pheno-Inspect
What does Pheno-Inspect do?
Pheno-Inspect develops and sells AI-powered SaaS platforms that analyze drone-captured field imagery to count plants, detect weeds and diseases, and generate prescription application maps for precision agriculture. The company offers two distinct products: FarmAnalyzer™ for individual farmers as a self-service platform, and PlantAnalyzer™ for agricultural enterprises and research organizations running high-resolution field trials. Solutions are delivered through an EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant cloud, are compatible with standard DJI drones, and produce ISOBUS-compatible application maps usable with major field sprayer brands.
Is Pheno-Inspect a public or private company?
Pheno-Inspect is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Pheno-Inspect founded?
Pheno-Inspect was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pheno-Inspect based?
Pheno-Inspect is headquartered in Ruhrort, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Pheno-Inspect make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. FarmAnalyzer™ SaaS Subscription is the primary driver. The others are plantAnalyzer™ Enterprise SaaS and customAI™ Model Development.
Who are Pheno-Inspect's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Climate FieldView (Bayer), Trimble Agriculture, John Deere Operations Center and DJI Agriculture. Direct peers are Pix4D, Gamaya, Taranis and xFarm Technologies. Emerging players are Solorrow and Arable Labs.
Does Pheno-Inspect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pheno-Inspect.
What industry is Pheno-Inspect in?
Pheno-Inspect's product category is Precision Agriculture Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABALAF, Phenotyping Technologies & Services (Field/Controlled Environment), with a secondary code of AFAAAFAH, Drone/UAV Data Capture & Processing Software. Its NAICS code is 11511 and its SIC code is 700.