Vancouver’s agtech unicorn Semios rebrands as Almanac, signaling major growth

Vancouver’s thriving technology sector has welcomed a bold move by one of its key players—Semios, a global leader in agricultural technology, has officially rebranded as Almanac.

This rebranding marks a pivotal moment not only for the company but also for Vancouver, further positioning the city as a major player in the global agtech market.

Founded in 2010, Semios has grown to be a global powerhouse in agtech, thanks to strategic acquisitions, including the $100 million purchase of farm management platform Agworld, as well as Centricity and Altrac.

The new Almanac brand unifies these technologies under one umbrella, creating an industry leader in sustainable, data-driven farming solutions.

At the helm of this transformation is CEO Sumer Johal (pictured), who took charge in late 2023. Johal, a well-known figure in the agtech industry, founded Agralogics and led the Linux Foundation’s AgStack project. His vision for Almanac is rooted in leveraging cutting-edge technology to build sustainable agricultural practices while honoring traditional farming wisdom.

Almanac’s core offering centers around its intelligence platform, Alma. This AI-powered platform synthesizes field data, weather patterns, and expert analysis to provide farmers with actionable insights tailored to their specific needs. Alma’s capabilities range from predicting pest outbreaks to analyzing regional weather, enabling farmers to make timely decisions that optimize crop yields and reduce costs.

″Almanac isn’t just about the latest software, data, AI, or hardware—although we offer those in abundance,″ said Johal. ″Almanac respects, values, and provides wisdom in a field where wisdom is key: the wisdom of farmers, the wisdom of the land, and the wisdom we gather through our technology.″

The rebranded company brings together Semios, a leader in real-time crop management through its extensive sensor network, and Agworld, a digital farm management platform. Together, these systems now cover over 100 million acres of farmland worldwide, helping farmers improve efficiency, sustainability, and profitability.

With the launch of Almanac, Vancouver’s role in the global agtech revolution continues to grow, reinforcing its status as a hub for innovation in agriculture. Through the combination of advanced AI, big data, and a farmer-first approach, Almanac is leading the charge toward a more sustainable and productive future for the agricultural industry.