About innov8.ag
We build decision tools for specialty-crop operations — connecting field reality to margin outcomes. Founded in 2019 in Walla Walla, Washington, by a team that believes growers deserve the same operational clarity that enterprise businesses take for granted.
Founder
Steve Mantle
Founder & CEO
Enterprise software veteran. Now building decision tools for specialty-crop operations—connecting field reality to margin outcomes.
Connect: LinkedIn
Steve Mantle spent nearly two decades in enterprise technology, including twelve years at Microsoft working on cloud infrastructure. In 2018 he moved from Redmond to Walla Walla, Washington, and quickly saw the gap: growers had data everywhere — spreadsheets, sensors, weather feeds, equipment logs — but no practical way to turn it into timely decisions.
In 2019 he founded innov8.ag to close that gap. Not by adding another tool, but by connecting the ones growers already use into a clear operating picture.
The company started in a Washington apple orchard, validated with local university research partners, and has grown alongside the operations it serves.
"For us it's bringing together real-world sensor data and, critically, nonsensor data such as labor and chemical and water and soil data, harvest data and imagery data to bring growers insights that are of value to their operations."
— Steve Mantle, Good Fruit Grower, 2021
Our Approach
CFOs and owners are awash in spreadsheets, yet starved for clarity. Supply and demand mismatch, cost volatility, and compressed growing windows make every season a moving target. By the time most numbers show up, the decision window is already gone. Our approach starts with a simple belief: we have to figure this out together. Growers bring decades of on-the-ground expertise and context that no model can replicate. We bring the tools to unlock the data they're already generating. Mother Nature always finds a way to keep us humble — so a data-optimized approach combined with real grower expertise is the only way through. Together, that means optimizing operations, improving windows of availability with quality differentiation, and informing investments in irrigation, fertility, and genetics or variety mix.
What We're Building Toward
2nd Sight — Legal-for-Trade Harvest Tracking
In 2025 we acquired 2nd Sight Bioscience, whose FairPick and FairTrak systems are the industry standard for NTEP-certified, legal-for-trade harvest tracking. These tools solve real problems: piece-rate payroll, inventory accuracy, and compliance — day in, day out, across hundreds of operations.
For the CFO, that means defensible payroll, fewer disputes, an audit-ready trail, and less chaos during the busiest weeks of the year.
$1M+
Revenue 2024
5
Countries
12 yrs
Microsoft (founder)
2019
Founded
The Team
A team with diverse experience — from enterprise tech and field operations to precision agriculture — that lives and works alongside the growers we serve.
Bob Alexander
Customer Success — Labor & Operations
EWU graduate in Computer Information Systems and Computer Science. Bob bridges the gap between technology and the people who use it — making sure every operation running FairPick, FairTrak, and MobileClock gets hands-on support from day one.
Freddy Valdovinos
Customer Success & Field Operations — Precision Ag
Boots on the ground. Freddy works directly with crews and field managers to deploy sensors, calibrate systems, and make sure the data flowing from the field is accurate, timely, and actionable.
Behind us, a broader team of engineers, data scientists, and operations specialists keeps the platform running and evolving for the growers who depend on it.
Investing in the Next Generation
Agriculture needs young talent — data scientists, engineers, and environmental problem-solvers who can help growers navigate the challenges ahead. We're committed to creating pathways for the next generation to discover that their skills are needed on the farm.
"If you're interested in environmental activism, get involved with farmers — get on the farm and apply your IQ with some of the challenges we have with mother nature."
— Steve Mantle, Washington Grown, 2025
AgAID Institute Intern Program
Since 2022 we've partnered with the NSF-funded AgAID Institute to host undergraduate research interns every summer. These students work on real problems — soil mapping, computer vision, harvest optimization — alongside our team and Washington growers.
2022 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar (top 300 nationally). Research project: "Computational Analysis of Specific Indicators to Manage Crop Yield and Profits Under Extreme Heat and Climate Change Conditions." Eastside Preparatory School, WA — now at Johns Hopkins University.
Our youth engagement extends beyond internships — including sponsoring the Washington Ag Education Foundation (WAEF), participating in WSU capstone courses, and Steve Mantle teaching ag technology at Central Washington University.
- You own your data.
- We don't sell it.
Ready to learn more?
We'd love to hear about your operation and explore how innov8.ag can help.
We're hiring! View open positions · Follow: LinkedIn