Deere & Company

AgriculturalFounded 1837- HQ today: Moline, Illinois

Acquisitions

John Deere Acquisitions

Major Deals Covered

$5.8B

Disclosed Deal Value

What are John Deere's biggest acquisitions?

John Deere's largest disclosed acquisition here is Wirtgen Group for $5.2B in 2017. This page covers 4 major deals from 1999 to 2021, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.

Major deals covered: 4
Largest deal: Wirtgen Group ($5.2B)
First deal: 1999
Most recent: 2021

Company	Year	Price	Purpose
NavCom Technology	1999	Undisclosed	Deere acquired NavCom Technology to deepen its GPS, satellite-positioning, and machine-guidance capabilities at a time when precision agriculture was moving from experimental technology toward commercial field use.
Wirtgen Group	2017	$5.2B	Deere agreed to acquire Germany-based Wirtgen Group to expand from its traditional agriculture and construction equipment base into a broader roadbuilding platform with milling, processing, mixing, paving, compaction, and rehabilitation brands.
Blue River Technology	2017	$305.0M	Deere acquired Blue River Technology to bring machine learning, computer vision, and plant-level decision tools into precision agriculture, especially targeted spraying that can identify weeds and apply inputs only where needed.
Bear Flag Robotics	2021	$250.0M	Deere acquired Bear Flag Robotics to accelerate autonomous operation in agriculture, including technology that can allow existing machines to perform field work with less direct human control.

What companies has John Deere bought?: Major acquisitions by John Deere documented here include Wirtgen Group (2017), Blue River Technology (2017), Bear Flag Robotics (2021) and NavCom Technology (1999).
What is John Deere's most recent acquisition?: The most recent John Deere acquisition documented here is Bear Flag Robotics, in 2021, for $250M.

Bear Flag Robotics

2021

$250M

Why

Deere acquired Bear Flag Robotics to accelerate autonomous operation in agriculture, including technology that can allow existing machines to perform field work with less direct human control.

Impact

The $250 million deal added a Silicon Valley autonomy team focused on perception, sensor fusion, software, and tractor automation. It supported Deere's long-term strategy of building smarter machines that address labor availability, timing pressure, and productivity needs in modern farming.

Outcome

Bear Flag strengthened Deere's autonomy talent and product roadmap. Its value to Deere was strategic rather than only financial: combining startup autonomy capability with Deere's machines, field knowledge, and dealer support gave the company a faster path toward commercial autonomous farming systems.

Source →

Wirtgen Group

2017

$5.2B

Why

Deere agreed to acquire Germany-based Wirtgen Group to expand from its traditional agriculture and construction equipment base into a broader roadbuilding platform with milling, processing, mixing, paving, compaction, and rehabilitation brands.

Impact

The deal added five premium brands and a global road-construction distribution network, giving Deere a larger position in infrastructure equipment and reducing its dependence on farm equipment cycles. Deere's announcement described the total transaction value as approximately $5.2 billion, including assumed net debt and other consideration; the equity price was ~$4.92 billion (EUR 4.357 billion) in cash.

Outcome

Wirtgen became the anchor of Deere's roadbuilding presence inside Construction and Forestry. The acquisition changed Deere's construction profile from mostly earthmoving and forestry equipment into a fuller road-construction offering that could participate in infrastructure spending and international road-maintenance demand.

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Blue River Technology

2017

$305M

Why

Deere acquired Blue River Technology to bring machine learning, computer vision, and plant-level decision tools into precision agriculture, especially targeted spraying that can identify weeds and apply inputs only where needed.

Impact

The $305 million acquisition moved Deere deeper into agricultural AI and helped connect its hardware franchise to software-defined field outcomes. Blue River's technology aligned with Deere's goal of helping growers lower input use, improve yields, and manage fields with more precise data.

Outcome

Blue River's work became part of Deere's See & Spray and precision-application roadmap, reinforcing the strategy of making Deere machines smarter and more differentiated over their working lives rather than competing only on horsepower, steel, and dealer coverage.

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NavCom Technology

1999

Why

Deere acquired NavCom Technology to deepen its GPS, satellite-positioning, and machine-guidance capabilities at a time when precision agriculture was moving from experimental technology toward commercial field use.

Impact

The acquisition gave Deere a technology base for guidance and positioning systems that later supported AutoTrac, machine connectivity, and the broader precision-agriculture ecosystem. It also showed that Deere was willing to buy enabling technology long before software became a central part of the investor story.

Outcome

NavCom became part of the technical foundation for Deere's StarFire guidance and digital equipment strategy. No purchase price is shown because none was verified.

Source →

Deere & Company's Growth & Acquisition Strategy

Deere's growth plan centers on its Smart Industrial strategy: selling outcomes per acre rather than only machines. Priorities include autonomy kits for tractors, See & Spray targeted herbicide application, connectivity (including a 2024 Starlink satellite agreement), electrification through Kreisel Electric, expansion of Wirtgen roadbuilding, and growth in Brazil and other emerging farm markets. Recurring revenue from software, parts, and service is meant to soften the cycle.

How Deere & Company Makes Money

Deere makes money in two connected ways. Equipment operations (about 85% of FY2025 revenue, $38.917 billion) design and build machines in three segments: Production and Precision Agriculture (large tractors, combines, planters, sprayers), Small Agriculture and Turf (utility tractors, mowers, hay and forage, golf), and Construction and Forestry (earthmoving, forestry, and Wirtgen roadbuilding). Machines are sold wholesale to independent dealers, who handle retail sales, parts, and service. Financial services (about 13%, $5.748 billion of finance and interest income) lend to dealers and end customers through retail notes, leases, floorplan financing, and revolving accounts, which keeps equipment affordable and earns interest across the cycle. Parts, precision-technology upgrades, and software features add higher-margin revenue on the installed base.

John Deere Acquisitions FAQ

What was the landmark acquisition of the Wirtgen Group by Deere & Company in 2017 for $5.2 billion?

In December 2017, Deere & Company completed the $5.2 billion (€4.4B) all-cash acquisition of Germany-based Wirtgen Group, the world leader in road construction equipment (Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann), cementing Deere's global construction machinery leadership.

Why did John Deere acquire AI computer vision pioneer Blue River Technology for $305 million in 2017?

In September 2017, Deere acquired Silicon Valley machine learning startup Blue River Technology for $305 million. Blue River's computer vision and edge AI models formed the foundational technology powering John Deere's breakthrough 'See & Spray' weed-targeting sprayers.

What was the acquisition of Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million in 2021?

In August 2021, Deere acquired Silicon Valley autonomous driving startup Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million, accelerating the engineering integration of autonomous tractor tillage and perception sensor retrofits.

Why did John Deere acquire majority ownership of Kreisel Electric in 2022?

In February 2022, Deere acquired a majority stake in Austrian high-voltage battery and charging pioneer Kreisel Electric, securing proprietary immersion-cooled battery cell technology to electrify compact tractors and construction machinery.

What was the acquisition of SparkAI in 2023 to support autonomous tractor operations?

In March 2023, John Deere acquired AI human-in-the-loop perception startup SparkAI, resolving complex edge-case visual ambiguities in real time to ensure uninterrupted autonomous tractor operations in dusty, low-visibility agricultural fields.

How did the acquisition of NavCom Technology in 1999 establish StarFire satellite GPS guidance?

In 1999, John Deere acquired satellite positioning pioneer NavCom Technology, developing the proprietary StarFire global satellite correction network (delivering sub-inch RTK GPS accuracy across farm tractors worldwide).

Why did John Deere acquire carbon-fiber sprayer boom manufacturer King Agro in 2018?

In 2018, Deere acquired King Agro (specializing in aerospace-grade carbon fiber composites in Argentina and Spain), developing ultra-lightweight 120-foot carbon fiber sprayer booms that reduce soil compaction and resist chemical corrosion.

What is John Deere's current strategic M&A focus across precision tech?

John Deere focuses acquisitions strictly on AI perception algorithms, autonomous robotic systems, smart sensor developers, battery cell chemistry, and cloud agronomic data analytics.

What companies has John Deere acquired?

To become a software giant, Deere executes massive AI acquisitions. In 2017, they bought Blue River Technology for $305 million (building "See & Spray" AI that uses cameras to perfectly target weeds with herbicide). In 2021, they bought Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million to completely automate tractors, allowing them to plow fields with absolutely zero human driver in the cab.

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