Tim Bucher | AI and Agriculture Podcast | Agtonomy

Building a Sustainable Future for Local Agriculture

In this episode, Ken Forster talks to Tim Bucher, the Chief Operating Officer of Agtonomy, a company building a sustainable future for local farms. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Founded in 2020, Agtonomy is a hybrid autonomy and tele-assist platform that turns tractors and other equipment into autonomous machines. A sensor suite and custom software stack enables remote operation with flexibility and safety features. Agtonomy, through its OEM partners, addresses both local farming and broader land maintenance operations. By partnering with some of the most trusted names in equipment, Agtonomy delivers immediate value to local farmers while helping global OEMs expand their existing markets.

Tim Bucher is a high-tech serial entrepreneur. He is an expert in digital consumer product development, including cloud-based software and hardware products and services, data storage technologies, and Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems. He holds over 40 patents in networking technology, user interface design, computer and processor design, and graphics and multimedia technologies. During his more than three decades of experience in the Silicon Valley startup world, Bucher founded several successful tech companies that went public or were acquired by tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Dell, and Seagate. He has also held critical executive leadership and product development roles with heavy hitters like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell. These are experiences that Bucher says helped him grow as both an innovator and a businessperson.

In addition to his success in Silicon Valley's tech industry, Bucher has also pursued entrepreneurial opportunities that have ties to his agricultural roots. Bucher operates a commercial winery and olive oil company, Trattore Farms, in northern Sonoma County. He is also the founder of TastingRoom.com, an online wine tasting club.

Bucher graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1986 and earned a master's degree in computer architecture from Stanford University in 1988.

Discussion Points:

• What would you consider to be your 'Digital Thread'?
  
• You've been an innovator in Silicon Valley since 1986. Sun, NeXT, 3DO, WebTV, Microsoft, Apple, Seagate. What are three major takeaways from your time with these firms?
• You've been lucky to work for computer titans like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell. What were some of the most valuable leadership lessons you took away from each experience?
  
• In 2020, you co-founded Agtonomy. Tell us about your beginnings.
  
• CNHI acquired Raven Industries. John Deer acquired Bear Flag Robotics. How does Agtonomy differ from these other companies and transactions that have happened recently?
  
• Can you tell us about your early use cases and wins?
  
• PitchBook recently suggests that ag-tech and AI will dominate financing in 2022. Does PitchBook's choice of these sectors surprise you in terms of investment activity and forecasts?
  
• What do you see as the biggest ag-tech opportunities in the next five years?
  
• What is the source of your ability to stay on the cutting edge of technology and innovation?