Raven Enters Into Agreement To Acquire Majority Ownership In DOT, Leader In Autonomous Platforms

 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Raven Industries, Inc. (the Company; NASDAQ:RAVN) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire majority ownership of DOT Technology Corp. (DOT™), a leader in autonomous agriculture solutions. The investment will align under the Company’s Applied Technology division in support of its recently announced strategic growth platform, Raven Autonomy™.

 

DOT™ is the designer and manufacturer of a unique U-shaped diesel-powered platform designed to autonomously handle a large variety of agriculture implements. Through its accurate path planning technology, the platform is able to complete tasks autonomously. In turn, agriculture professionals can make better use of their time and overall operations.

 

The two companies began working together in May 2018, when the Company announced the Dot Platform would be outfitted with Raven technology, including steering, guidance and propulsion.

 

“Over the last year and a half of collaborating with DOT, Raven has come to understand the value and uniqueness of the Dot Platform,” said Dan Rykhus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Raven Industries. “We are furthering our investment in and ownership of this unique, disruptive technology. By investing in DOT’s growth, we believe we have the ability to lead in the next revolution of production agriculture.”

 

Through this majority ownership, Raven will leverage the respective strengths of each entity to drive commercialization and adoption efforts of autonomy in agriculture. Raven is the market leader in steering, guidance and machine control technology, while DOT brings field path planning, user control experience, machine safety and remote communication software to this unique relationship. Together, the companies will accelerate the development of precision agriculture technology from semi-autonomous to fully-autonomous solutions.

 

“Our majority ownership investment in DOT is clear evidence of our commitment to deliver revolutionary autonomous technology to the market,” said Brian Meyer, Division Vice President of Raven Applied Technology. “By bringing together DOT’s unique platform with our machine control technology, industry knowledge and OEM partnerships, Raven will be the market leader in autonomous precision agriculture advancements.”

 

“As a company, we launched the Dot Platform to change farming. Raven has been a critical partner in helping to get Dot to where we are today,” said Norbert Beaujot, Owner and Founder of DOT Technology Corp and SeedMaster Manufacturing Ltd. “Our combined technologies will undoubtedly help accelerate speed to market and adoption of machine automation.”

 

Raven is dedicated to solving great challenges, including autonomy for agriculture. Raven Autonomy™ will change the ag technology landscape, helping ag professionals be safer, more efficient and ultimately run their operation with less reliance on human variabilities. Utilizing its market-leading solutions suite and strong commercial and technical relationships, Raven will pave the way in autonomous farming and transform futuristic ideas into concrete realities.

 

The transaction is expected to close in November 2019.