Minnesota is the natural home for an agtech company. St. Paul-based Sentera developed the Field Agent software platform, which uses drone sensors to help farmers gauge the health of crops. The company raised $25 million in financing in 2021, bringing its total amount raised to $50 million. Sentera was started by a core group of people who worked at local operations for Lockheed Martin, where they made similar drones for military use. Eric Taipale himself trained as an engineer. He explains that Field Agent Real-Time Mapping enables agronomic professionals to make timely decisions in the field with no need for an internet connection.