About innov8.ag
innov8.ag is a Microsoft-partnered agtech platform founded in 2019 with a clear purpose: to enable data-informed farming by synchronizing the data streams growers already have, turning fragmented information into actionable intelligence that drives better outcomes.
Founder & Origins
Steve Mantle, founder and CEO, spent 12 years at Microsoft where he played a leadership role in growing Azure from $100 million to over $10 billion in revenue. In 2018, he relocated to Walla Walla, Washington — a move that brought him closer to the agricultural communities that would shape his next chapter.
What he discovered was an industry overwhelmed by data but starving for clarity. Growers had sensors, spreadsheets, weather feeds, and equipment logs — yet struggled to turn this information into confident decisions. The problem wasn't a lack of data; it was analysis paralysis.
In 2019, Steve founded innov8.ag to solve this problem: not by adding more tools, but by synchronizing the ones growers already had. The goal was simple — address real farm challenges with technology that works the way growers do.
Company Milestones
Company founded
Initial pilot launched in a major Washington apple orchard, partnering with local academic institutions to validate our approach.
Platform expansion
Expanded capabilities into soil mapping, yield forecasting, crop imaging, robotics integration, and inventory tracking.
2nd Sight acquisition
Acquired 2nd Sight Bioscience (founded 2014), integrating FairPick and FairTrak technologies to deliver legal-for-trade harvest and inventory tracking to hundreds of farms.
2nd Sight & Expansion
2nd Sight Bioscience spent a decade developing and refining labor and inventory tools trusted by commercial growers across North America. Their FairPick and FairTrak systems became the industry standard for NTEP-certified, legal-for-trade harvest tracking — solving real problems in piece-rate payroll, inventory accuracy, and compliance.
The 2025 acquisition brings these battle-tested tools into the innov8.ag ecosystem, extending the platform's capabilities across the entire agricultural value chain — from soil preparation through harvest execution to final inventory and traceability.
For growers, this means a single partner for the complete operational picture, without needing to stitch together disconnected systems.
What We're Building Now
Today, innov8.ag integrates best-in-class technologies — soil sensors, machine-vision robotics, cloud analytics, and traceability systems — into a cohesive platform designed for growers, breeders, nurseries, and agribusiness leaders.
The goal isn't to replace what's working. It's to connect what's working into a clear, trustworthy operating picture that enables smarter, faster decisions — whether you're managing harvest crews, forecasting yields, or tracking genetics across seasons.
We measure success not by features shipped, but by grower outcomes improved.
Data Governance & Trust
Growers own their data. We use it only to deliver depersonalized indexes and anonymized benchmarks that help you understand your operation in context — never to sell or share your information.
Our platform exists to deliver actionable insights, not to monetize your data. Trust is earned through transparency, and we're committed to keeping it that way.
Ready to learn more?
We'd love to hear about your operation and explore how innov8.ag can help you make better decisions with the data you already have.