Founded in 2021
3x office space
9.5% job growth
The Company
Ground Truth Ag, founded in a Regina garage in late 2021, is led by CEO Kyle Folk.
Ground Truth Ag has built a system that automatically grades grain and assesses quality comprehensively and consistently throughout the entire supply chain, from the farm all the way through to processing and destination.
How did it attract investors? The Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI) played a big role!
“It helped attract the investors we needed at that point, alleviating some of the risk of investing in an early-stage company,” said CEO Kyle Folk.
The Problem
Grain quality has been determined through human subjectivity for more than 100 years.
The industry needed a reliable and efficient way to take the guesswork out of grain grading. Every bushel of grain that comes off the field must be graded so it can be priced. And up until now, the industry relied on humans to subjectively eyeball and consider the quality, size, shape, colour and more of the grain to determine the grade.
This process is longer than it has to be and ends up impacting a farmer’s bottom line.
Ground Truth Ag is the first to successfully build a system capable of providing all the information necessary to make these decisions automatically and objectively.
Grading grain the traditional way is not only inconsistent. It’s inefficient for the entire industry.
The Solution
Using AI and a multitude of specially designed hardware applications, Ground Truth Ag can offer standardized and repeatable grading of grain anywhere in the supply chain.
Their product works whether the grain is in the field, in the bin, in transit or at its destination.
“Our automated system creates an agriculture supply chain backed by real time, accurate and consistent grading results with fast and comprehensive views of quality factors, to drive profitability and productivity, industry wide.”
The system can reduce grading time up to 80 per cent, getting that grain to market faster for farmers, who can rest easy knowing their grain has been consistently and reliably graded.
Ground Truth Ag’s pioneering technology further positions Saskatchewan as a leader in agtech, while improving our efficiency as an exporting powerhouse.
Efficient, consistent, accurate and comprehensive. These are key pillars to Ground Truth Ag’s technology.
The Journey
Ground Truth Ag was founded in a garage by two people in Regina in November 2021. Since then, it has grown to employ 17 full-time employees and four part-time employees.
The company took advantage of Innovation Saskatchewan support for technology commercialization and agriculture innovation.
“The supports came early in our life cycle which have an exponential impact because it helps set a strong trajectory for our company at a time when we are most vulnerable and risky,” said Folk.
First, Ground Truth Ag accessed the Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI). This is a tax program that aims to encourage investment in Saskatchewan tech startups. Apply here. This program can help startups secure capital from local investors.
Second, Ground Truth Ag was selected for the Agtech Growth Fund (AGF). This is a fund that helps select game-changing agtech startups commercialize and grow faster.
“(The programs) have been integral in helping us achieve what we have been able to so far,” said Folk.
Since its founding, Ground Truth Ag has tripled its office space, scaling up from a garage to a beautiful, 6200 sq. foot office space located in Regina, SK.
What’s Next
Ground Truth Ag is poised to dominate as it readies to enter the market with its product in 2025—fewer than four years after the company was launched!
“The advantage to being in Saskatchewan and being in agtech is that you are completely immersed in the ag industry organically because it is all around us,” Folk said.
Looking to invest in Saskatchewan’s next greatest idea? Learn more here.
