The Climate Corporation Acquires 640 Labs to Bolster Data Science Capabilities for Farming

The Climate Corporation, a provider of software, hardware and insurance products for farmers, has announced it has acquired 640 Labs, an agricultural technology startup based in Chicago. The acquisition will help strengthen The Climate Corporation’s efforts to build a data science platform for farmers, according to the company. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Based in Chicago, 640 Labs was founded by Corbett Kull and Craig Rupp, two highly experienced engineers, according to The Climate Corporation, which is a division of Monsanto Corp. The startup has been focused on leveraging the power of analytics, mobile technologies and cloud computing to help farmers capture and store in-field data.

“At The Climate Corporation, we strongly believe that leveraging on-farm data can help farmers maximize yields and optimize natural resource use,” David Friedberg, CEO of The Climate Corporation, said in a prepared statement. “Turning that data into valuable tools for farmers requires a combination of top software engineers, statisticians and specialized disciplines, from agronomists to climatologists. The 640 Labs team brings a combination of engineering and agricultural expertise that will complement and enhance the capabilities of our existing team.”

The Climate Corporation will maintain the Chicago office, where the 640 Labs team will remain. “We’re excited to have a new Chicago location and plan to expand our science and engineering organization, aggressively hiring talent in the region,” Friedberg added in the statement.

The Climate Corporation said it expects to announce new products or services to be offered in the coming year as a result of the 640 Labs acquisition.

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