AMES, Iowa — Stine Seed Farm Inc, an affiliate of Stine Seed Company, the largest independent seed company in the United States, has invested $5 million in Smart Ag Inc., an Iowa technology firm focused on automation in agriculture with the development of a full stack software platform and aftermarket kit for driverless tractors. The Stine Seed investment in Smart Ag’s Series Seed Round comes five months after Smart Ag unveiled its technology with the release of AutoCart, a software application that fully automates a grain cart tractor for use during harvest.

The AutoCart application provides a solution to one of the biggest challenges facing every farmer – critical labor shortages during harvest. Smart Ag’s driverless tractor technology is the first step towards “enabling perfect operation of farm equipment”.  AutoCart performs the same function as a driver, only it is safer, and more reliable and sustainable.   

Over two years in development, AutoCart, along with the tractor automation kit, is a plug-and-play system that automates existing grain cart tractors. The cost of the system is comparable to retrofitting a sprayer or planter with precision technology. The AutoCart technology is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, more information can be found on the Smart Ag website: www.Smart-Ag.com.