AgTech: Yang Fang Of Beagle Technology On The New Technologies That Are Revolutionizing Agriculture
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Talk with customers first before you build any solutions. For example, for our first customer, The Wine Group, we spoke with the vineyard supervisor and worked with him to really understand the problem that he was struggling with. That became our guideline for the solution.
The agriculture industry is undergoing rapid transformation as innovative technologies are being developed and implemented, from precision agriculture to vertical farming, and beyond. In this series, we are speaking to leaders, innovators, and experts in the AgTech space who are playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of agriculture. We aim to explore the latest developments, discuss the challenges and opportunities that these technologies present, and showcase the impact of AgTech on the industry as a whole. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Yang Fang.
Dr. Yang Fang, Founder and CEO of Beagle Technology, is a driving force in the agricultural automation industry. His company is at the leading edge of intelligent automation, providing advanced solutions for grape and vegetable growers as well as Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
In 2022, Beagle Technology’s potential was underscored when it successfully secured seed funding from multiple venture capitalists. Yang established the company in 2021, while he was in NEC X Venture Studio as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR). With a clear vision, he decided to address the pervasive issue of labor shortages in agriculture through innovative automation solutions.
Yang’s entrepreneurial journey began even earlier, in 2017, with the development of an autonomous driving kit for tractors, a testament to his pioneering spirit. This followed his substantial academic accomplishment — earning a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from Michigan State University in 2009.
Yang’s professional journey exemplifies an unwavering commitment to expanding the frontiers of technology in agriculture. His ongoing contributions are shaping the future of the industry.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in China and I went to engineering school there for my undergraduate. After that I moved to the US and got my Ph.D. in Robotics in 2009 from Michigan State University. Since then, I’ve been working in automotive electronics and medical devices. In 2015 the medical devices company that I worked for was acquired and so I was trying to determine my next career move. I live in the Bay Area near Livermore, Calif., a place where there is a lot of farming and wineries. As a result, I learned there is a major labor shortage for the farming industry, and I was determined to help with a solution.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Interestingly, it is easier than one would think to sell a concept solution to large business entities if you choose to address the right problem that they need to solve. I reached out to one of the largest wineries in the US and booked a paid trial with three of the largest growers.
You are a successful leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Brutally honest — What I mean is that as a human you want to hear good news and tend to be biased and choose the reality of what you would like to hear. But for early-stage startups it may not always go right. You have to be true to yourself early on.
Focus — Early in the process of a startup there are many things that can get your attention that can go wrong; it is important to focus on the right one and spend 90% of your time on that. You must purposely ignore a lot of other things, for example, coffee with investors. At the early stage the most important thing is the customer.
Execution — There are many strategies you can take early on, and many might be similar. Really the difference is execution. If you want to reach a certain milestone, you need to execute very hard and achieve it in the most strategic and smartest way. If you cannot do that no matter what strategy you have it will fail because you cannot execute.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes, I am working on transforming labor-intensive farming through AI-powered mechanization. Beagle Technology is providing a solution to farmers to address their manual labor problem.
It will help people because the farming population is disappearing sharply year-over-year. While at the same time, the overall population is growing significantly. We have to feed more people with less human power. You can only solve this with mechanization and intelligence. In 2021, I got involved in the NEC X Venture Studio Program as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR), and they were very interested in solving the same problem around agriculture with a big social impact. I decided to team up with NEC X to work on the project.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. How did you become involved in AgTech, and why does it matter to you?
Initially I was making a mobile app to monitor pollen count. That’s a hobby project I did when I was in the medical devices industry. I was trying to sell this to farmers to help them decide the best farming season. But they ended up telling me the story about what they care most, which is the labor shortage. My technical background is robotics and automation, so I started to address this problem instead.
It matters to me because I like to work on fundamental and essential industries. AgTech fits my interest the most. I really enjoy working outdoors and working with farmers.
What are the most transformative technologies currently in use in AgTech, and how are they revolutionizing the industry?
The most transforming technology right now is how we take the advancements in AI intelligence and apply that to farming equipment. To make a practical solution that farmers can use today. AI is advancing quickly. Farmers know that but the technology is overwhelming to them. We cannot just drop AI into existing farming solutions. So, whoever can find the right combination between AI and practice is going to win the competition.
Beagle Technologies has successfully applied AI and intelligence to speed up the farming mechanization process for wine grapes and vegetable crops. For example, the machine detects the height and depth of vines using computer vision. It then adjusts, locates clippers, and cuts vines at precise locations. This patent-pending solution replaces manual operation, provides improved accuracy and speed, and reduces cost by about 25% for pruning and 70% for shoot thinning.
How do these technologies contribute to sustainable agriculture practices and the fight against climate change?
If you just rely on manual labor, farming is not going to be sustainable.
What are the challenges in integrating these technologies with existing farming practices?
The challenge is how to balance full automation and semi automation. Full automation would require a lot of R&D and involve farming operation. Semi-automation allows the solution to be deployed more quickly but it will not save as much labor. Finding the perfect combination is challenging.
What emerging technologies do you see as having the potential to disrupt the AgTech industry in the next 5–10 years?
The coupling between automated equipment and autonomous tractors. It will allow zero human input — it will be automated to a level we cannot even imagine today.
What kind of policy changes would be beneficial for the growth of the AgTech industry?
I think there should be more limitations on chemicals and better environmental practices. It will push farmers to look for other technological solutions.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in AgTech?
Go talk to farmers. Go to the field and get your boots dirty. Also, if you want to work on something, do the labor first.
If you are interested in starting a startup, don’t do it alone. Look for programs like that of NEC X where you can get the support and mentoring needed for a good, solid start.
Ok, thank you. Here is the main question of our interview. What are the “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started ” and why?
1 . Talk with customers first before you build any solutions. For example, for our first customer, The Wine Group, we spoke with the vineyard supervisor and worked with him to really understand the problem that he was struggling with. That became our guideline for the solution.
2 . You can sell your concept without building a solution. So, what I mean here is that before I build anything I draw a proposal of the product. Then, I work with people to pay me to build the proposed product.
3 . Strategy is important but execution is the king. In other words, at an early stage of the company we are always making high risk, low datapoint decisions. So, there will be many strategies that may seem to be okay. Executing one strategy and really building it out well makes all the difference.
4 . If your team fails to achieve a milestone, do not jump in to help. Instead, understand how to help them succeed next time. For example, I had several junior engineers join Beagle Technology at an early stage. They worked hard but achieved little. Rather than doing the work myself, I spent more time training them to be more efficient. Those engineers are very critical employees to Beagle Technology today.
5 . Building a company is a long process. It is definitely not just a year-long engagement, it’s a very big commitment. I started Beagle Technology in 2021 and, while already two years into this journey, I feel we still have a lot to do.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would like to see if we can grow all the food indoors vertically.
The way farming is done today is not sustainable. Production needs to increase by quite a lot; the food industry needs to shift to become more like the manufacturing industry.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/in/yang-fang-a28350a/.
Email: yfang@beagle-tech.com.
This was very inspiring and informative. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this interview!
