KRONE seeks tech solutions to level-up global farm machinery range

What hasn’t changed is KRONE’s unwavering commitment to innovation that puts customers first.

Now, the family-owned brand is partnering with grow^AG. to find the agtech startups who can help propel the next generation of KRONE innovation.

For over 100 years, farm machinery manufacturer KRONE has put farmers in the driving seat of not just hay and silage equipment, but new productivity frontiers.

Its unique blend of innovation, expertise, and customer focus has seen the German family-owned business become a leading global brand – famed for its exceptional quality, performance, and reliability.

Distributed in Australia by Kubota, and engineered to the challenging conditions our farmers face, KRONE has built a loyal – and growing – following for its 240-strong range of fodder harvesting and hay baling machinery, which includes mowers, tedders, rakes, round balers, big square balers and forage wagons.

At the brand’s core is its continuous quest to engineer machines that don’t just get the job done – but actively tackle the challenges farmers face. And to find the best innovations for its customers, KRONE is looking to Australia’s agtech ecosystem for solutions.

Targeting industry pain points

Step one in a customer-first approach to innovation is to understand the challenges customers face. And to do that, KRONE conducted an extensive pain point analysis. Paulina Weege, part of KRONE's corporate strategy team, explained,

"We laid out a strategic roadmap for KRONE for the next decade, and part of that was understanding the gaps – and the areas where we could look to startups to fill,” she said.

KRONE settled on three core focus areas.

1. The first is technologies and solutions that make KRONE machines better: economically, technically, or in terms of useability.

“A really good example here is low emission drives. CO2 -neutral or lower emissions for machines over 230 horsepower is really interesting to us,” said Paulina.

2. The second is innovative solutions in the field of precision agriculture that deliver high-quality data, enabling customers to optimise and enhance their agricultural processes.

It might be artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive analytics; robotics for targeted application of inputs; or smart tools that can for example determine the time of harvest based on satellite data.

3. Third is startups that are interested in bringing their technology to the Swedish market and want to try distribution through the independent online distribution platform, Farmers First.

And this third area is not nearly as niche as it might first appear.

“Farmers First is an online distribution platform in Sweden, providing farmers with a comprehensive overview of machinery and pricing for farm equipment,” explained Paulina. Krone is invested in Farmers First and distributes its products via the platform.

“It's like a sales and service platform for us. But we want Farmers First to be an independent platform for other solution providers, too, so farmers have access to more ways to solve the daily work challenges they face.”

Paulina added that, at first glance, Sweden may not be the top target market for Australian Startups, “But I think it's a cool opportunity. Their farmers are very digital-driven – so it’s worth a look for Australian Startups with agtech solutions in that space.” In addition, the Australian market could also be of interest to Farmers First in the future.

Venture capital a possibility for the right technology

Farmers First is a great example of KRONE’s open innovation + venture model.

“Our initial focus is always on collaboration – working with startups to refine their technology so it can be implemented into our machines,” said Paulina. “Whether it's an early-stage startup or one that has already built its pilot or is in its scaling phase, it doesn't matter to us as long as both sides can generate benefits for each other.”

For Australian Startups, the possibility for funding through KRONE’s venture capital arm, Silver Crown Capital, is a big drawcard.

It’s seen Farmers First go from strength to strength. The platform now offers a wide product portfolio from multiple manufacturers, transparent pricing, and a network of independent servicing centres that improve access to after-market care for remote customers – as well as those who want to purchase from brands who are still growing their market presence.

Collaboration brings plug-in solution to longstanding challenge

Further along the readiness pipeline, German active noise cancelling specialist, Recalm, has partnered with KRONE for in-cabin noise reduction solutions.

Its retrofittable ANCOR technology system uses acoustic technology to create a ‘quiet zone’ around the driver’s head, drastically improving driver comfort without the need for headphones.

“It’s another great example of why we collaborate,” said Paulina. “KRONE don’t have competence in acoustics; Recalm do.”

“We know that cabin noise is a big pain point, so this collaboration is a good pairing. And a very good example of why KRONE is continually searching for solutions we can’t provide on our own.”

KRONE’s listing on grow^AG. represents the German company’s first open invitation to Australia’s agtech ecosystem. “We wanted to look beyond national borders for new tech solutions – and the first place that came to mind was Silicon Valley,” explained Paulina.

“But when we went there, what we actually found was grow^AG..”

“When you go to San Francisco, the focus is America-first. And that makes sense for a startup, because America is a very big market both for the startups and for us.”

“But what stood out about grow^AG. in comparison was that it helps Startups not just in Australia, but across the world.”

"They’ve got a great team, and a great network of innovators who they’ve already connected us to. We’re looking forward to meeting more through the open innovation challenge.”