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.
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.
The Team
A small, focused team that lives and works alongside the growers we serve.
Steve Mantle
Founder & CEO
Nearly two decades in enterprise tech, including twelve years at Microsoft. Now applying that experience to tools that help growers make better decisions every day.
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 the scenes, a dedicated group of engineers, data scientists, and operations specialists keep the platform running and evolving for the growers who depend on it.
- 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.
Follow: LinkedIn