Charting Smarter Paths for Canadian Agriculture

What if Canadian farming could be more efficient, more sustainable and more profitable — all at the same time? That’s the mission of Verge Ag, a Calgary-based agricultural technology (agtech) company that’s rewriting the ‘rulebook’ on farm operations. Using digital tools, Verge Ag helps farmers reduce waste and boost productivity by using data from farm machines, satellites, weather forecasts and other sources to optimize field design, equipment deployment, and crop-growing routes.

Making the most of every pass

Transforming farm data into smarter operational planning has been both a challenge and an opportunity for Canadian innovators. Enter Verge Ag and its platform, Path Planner, that helps growers simulate, optimize and coordinate machinery before a single tire hits the soil. The result: fewer overlaps, less idle time, minimized fuel use and more acres covered faster. “When you plan the work before you do the work, you get better outcomes across the board,” explains Godard, Verge Ag’s Co-founder and CEO. For example, one of Verge’s customers that operates a 34,000-acre operation in Saskatchewan using Path Planner realized: 

• 25% more acres covered per hour
• 1,874 fewer hours of total machine operation
• 25,637 gallons of fuel saved
• Emissions reductions equivalent to taking 76 cars off the road for a year

According to farmer ​​​​​​Russel Fersch of Elrose, Saskatchewan, “(Path Planner) gives me the most efficient way of doing things, saving time, money and depreciation. I’ve even used it to compare equipment specs, figure out the best tire pressures for traction and get more out of my existing fleet.” 

From Startup to Global Quantum Trailblazer

Verge Ag’s growth accelerated in 2020 through its involvement with DIGITAL’s Standard Data Platform for Autonomous Agriculture project. The consortium on this initiative included Terramera, Simon Fraser University, QuantoTech and i-Open Group. Working together and with DIGITAL’s support for this project helped Verge Ag fast-track its software development to create the world’s first interactive operational planning platform for autonomous agriculture. This led to a pair of major expansions into Australia, including a partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to help optimize on-farm operations for Australian grain growers. Meanwhile, a collaboration with Haeusler’s Group, a leading John Deere distributor, is putting Path Planner in the hands of growers across Victoria and New South Wales. 

Next came Verge Ag’s most groundbreaking development to date: co-developing one of the world’s first applications of quantum computing in agriculture. As the lead partner in a new project with DIGITAL, Optimizing Agricultural Operations with Quantum Computing, Verge Ag is collaborating with D-Wave, PAMI, the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and Mitacs to enhance field design, path planning and equipment use across vast regions by leveraging the unrivalled processing speed and precision of D-Wave’s Leap Quantum Cloud. It was only a matter of weeks before a quantum-powered version of Path Planner was brought to market through a partnership between D-Wave and Verge Ag.  

Impact At-A-Glance

Game-changing connections

The momentum behind Verge Ag has proven to be remarkably consistent. “We’ve brought in 45 to 50 new users every month for four years straight,” Godard notes. “That tells us the value of Path Planner is resonating, and word is spreading.” From seeding to harvest, from classical to quantum computing, from Canada to Australia, and from in-house development to productive partnerships, Verge Ag is proving that the smartest route forward is one you plan. 

“​​​​DIGITAL’s support has been a game-changer for us. They supported applying our tech in Ukraine, where farmland had been affected by the war. We deployed our tools on over 5 million acres, helping farmers navigate damaged terrain. That level of global reach and impact wouldn’t have been possible without DIGITAL and the partnerships they facilitate.” – Godard, CEO & Co-Founder | Verge Ag

Get in Touch

Interested in learning more about how DIGITAL can help support your Canadian technology or connect you to Canadian solutions providers? Get in touch with Chris Doody, Director of Investment Oversight today!