Introducing Market+, Indigo heralds next chapter as the ag industry's independent technology platform partner

Date:12-08-2021

Indigo Agriculture, in its commitment to operating as an independent technology enabler for the ag industry, has introduced a new Market+ by Indigo identity for its keystone digital offer. The change from Indigo Marketplace to Market+ acknowledges the company’s evolution of the offer from a digital merchant to the industry’s neutral and independent digital merchandising solutions provider. The new name comes ahead of the anticipated release of a new suite of marketing and merchandising tools, developed with input from over 150 grain merchants, farmers, and advisers through extensive market testing over the last year.

“Market+ is the culmination of how far we’ve come. No longer the intermediary, Indigo’s technology and tools are designed from the ground up to help ag supply chain participants realize higher value in their existing relationships by increasing efficiency, optimizing assets, and expanding revenue opportunities,” said Amit Menipaz, Head of Global Marketplaces at Indigo. “The new name brings to life both the progress we’ve made and the additional value and opportunities across the supply chain that can be unlocked through digital enablement.”

“The grain merchandising industry is rapidly going through a digital transition, and we are deeply invested in ensuring farmers come out on top. As an independent partner, Indigo is uniquely positioned to put the best technology expertise to work for the benefit of the industry,” said Matt Carstens, President and CEO of Landus, which recently announced a strategic collaboration spanning Indigo’s full integrated solutions portfolio to drive digital transformation in agriculture. “The value and efficiencies that Market+ offers – and the new capabilities on their way – provide a premier resource to help navigate market changes and monetize new opportunities to the fullest.”

“Indigo’s digital grain merchandising application was founded to connect agricultural supply and demand, enabling both sides to reach further, connect to new parties, and capture more profit,” said Jennifer Betka, Chief Marketing Officer at Indigo Ag. “Bringing ‘market’ to the forefront of our offering’s identity emphasizes the connection and relationships that underpin the agricultural industry.”

Over the last year, the company has made significant updates to the underlying technology platform to better serve as an enabler for the ag ecosystem. Most notably, by removing itself from the transaction flow, Indigo has expanded Market+ to directly connect a wider set of stakeholders across the agricultural supply chain (farmers, cooperatives, processors, merchants, carriers, shippers, and consumer brands) with a suite of integrated and data-driven tools, including:

• Merchandise and Sell, which enable buyers and farmers, respectively, to turn an inefficient offline contracting process into a streamlined digital experience that connects them directly and helps them capture more profitable outcomes,

• Hedge, which allows buyers and farmers to contract directly using customized pricing capabilities that help increase profitability and improve operational efficiency,

• Transport, which, by digitizing the load management lifecycle for dry-bulk transportation, allows users to plan, tender, dispatch, track, and settle freight across dedicated and third-party fleets,

• Insight, which integrates remote sensors, satellite, market, government, public, and proprietary datasets using sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence to create personalized, actionable insights tailored for each business decision,

• Source, which enables scalable, sustainable sourcing of crops grown with verified agricultural practices and quality attributes. An extension of Indigo’s soil environment measurement, reporting, and verification system, Market+ Source helps brands like Anheuser Busch and The North Face improve the sustainability of their supply chains, report on progress toward their environmental goals according to rigorous scientific standards and provide farmers with additional revenue through sustainability premiums.

Additionally, the upcoming second-generation technology release – scheduled for public debut in early 2022 – will introduce new buyer-facing tools designed to save time, money and lower risk from back-office tasks, invest more in building relationships with their farmers, and make better decisions based on personalized facility and farm level analytics.

According to Menipaz: “The introduction of new buyer capabilities to Market+ will put the industry’s most comprehensive suite of integrated merchandising capabilities in the hands of people who make grain buying or selling decisions every day, helping them better work together with their preferred partners and nurture their business for success in a rapidly evolving ag landscape.”