AVIGNON: Hiphen and Aurea Imaging, leaders in remote sensing, computer vision, and AI for agriculture, announced a significant acquisition on Monday.

Hiphen will acquire Aurea Imaging’s drone phenotyping operations, enhancing its position as a top provider of advanced drone image analytics for crop science and agriculture globally.

Established in 2014 and based in Avignon, France, Hiphen has delivered high-value data to seed breeders, product developers, and crop researchers worldwide. In 2023, Hiphen expanded into the U.S. with the acquisition of California-based SlantRange. The new acquisition of Aurea’s phenotyping activities further strengthens Hiphen’s European presence.

“The drone-based phenotyping market in plant breeding and product development is evolving rapidly,” said Dr. Alexis Comar, CEO of Hiphen. “By integrating Aurea’s expertise, we can lower costs and accelerate trait development, providing actionable insights faster.”

Aurea Imaging will now focus on its orchard management strategy with TreeScout, a solution offering tree-level insights to optimize orchard management. “This divestment allows us to accelerate TreeScout while our customers benefit from Hiphen’s advanced drone phenotyping platform,” said Joost Hazelhoff, CEO of Aurea Imaging.

Aurea’s clients will transition to Hiphen’s PhenoScale® product line, ensuring research continuity. Both companies believe the acquisition will drive the development of tools to measure and predict plant growth dynamics, enhancing global agricultural efficiency.