South San Francisco, California, October 20th, 2025, NewsDirect
Agtonomy bolsters executive leadership and welcomes GM, Apple, and Microsoft veteran Michael Abbott to its Board, propelling rapid growth and international deployment of advanced automation for specialty crop growers and land managers
Agtonomy, a leading software and services company specializing in automation and physical AI solutions for agriculture and land management, today announced a bold expansion in the United States with new deployments in the Southeast and its first international commercial operation in Australia. Following its mission to get AI-enabled autonomous fleets in growers’ hands faster, Agtonomy is accelerating adoption of advanced agriculture technology in diverse regions—unlocking efficiency and productivity for specialty crop producers and land managers worldwide.
Agtonomy’s latest expansion marks a pivotal moment for agricultural automation, with the company making its commercial debut in Australia. This initiative introduces an advanced physical AI platform to Australian growers, empowering them to meet growing labor and productivity challenges with scalable, autonomous solutions tailor-made for specialty and permanent crops. Simultaneously, Agtonomy’s rollout in the southeastern U.S. broadens access to Agtonomy-enabled equipment across key specialty crop and green space sectors, providing producers and land managers on both coasts with practical, field-proven automation.
To reinforce its trajectory for rapid growth, Agtonomy also announced the appointment of Michael Abbott, renowned technology executive, to its Board of Directors. “Agtonomy is building something truly transformative bringing physical AI to industrial markets that are desperate for more automation to make ends meet,” said Abbott. “I’m excited to join the board at such a pivotal moment in the company’s journey and to support a team that combines deep industry knowledge with the technical expertise needed to bring automation into the field in a practical, scalable way.”
Abbott most recently served as GM’s Executive Vice President of Software and Services, overseeing key programs for Software-Defined Vehicles, OnStar, and autonomous driving. His prior experience includes leading Apple’s Cloud Services and holding senior roles at Twitter, Palm, and Microsoft. Abbott’s deep cloud infrastructure and enterprise platform expertise complement Agtonomy’s vision for scaling physical AI across agricultural and land management markets.
“At Agtonomy, we know firsthand that practical experience in both farming and automation gives us a real edge,” said Tim Bucher, founder and CEO of Agtonomy. “We’ve thoughtfully built an executive team with the experience and focus to take us from innovation to real-world impact. Our team brings field-proven know-how from Silicon Valley, global ag OEMs, and specialty crop production. The result isn’t another flashy demo—it’s automation that growers can trust, use, and depend on, right now. Plus, Michael’s addition to our board further strengthens our ability to navigate the road ahead.”
As Agtonomy grows with OEM partners and commercial growers, it has assembled a leadership team aligned with its mission to solve real operational challenges through automation. Agtonomy’s executive team includes:
- Tim Bucher, Co-Founder and CEO – A serial innovator with decades in Silicon Valley and hands-on crop production, Bucher has turned breakthrough ideas into industry-leading products and forged sustainable partnerships across the ag and tech sectors. He previously held executive engineering roles at Apple, Microsoft, and Dell and founded multiple tech startups acquired by these industry giants, all while managing his California-based commercial farming operation.
- Karen Carte, Chief Financial Officer – An experienced growth strategist, Carte has scaled multiple startups by optimizing financial strategy and leading operational expansion through rapid commercial deployments. She served in senior finance roles at Network Equipment Technologies (acquired by Sonus), Lyve Minds (acquired by Seagate), and other high-profile technology companies.
- Nic Fischer, Chief Technology Officer – Fischer leads Agtonomy’s edge in autonomous engineering, delivering generations of award-winning robotic and AI-driven systems that advance efficiency and reliability for growers. His previous experience includes robotics and engineering leadership at Postmates by Uber, Bluefin Robotics, and PRENAV, holding several patents in autonomous systems and control.
- Matt Hesse, Vice President of Sales and Business Development – Hesse brings deep agriculture roots and more than two decades of industry experience spanning agronomy, precision agriculture, and agtech commercialization. He has led growth initiatives at both startups and established companies including Trimble Navigation, building strategic partnerships and expanding market access.
- Steve Holmes, Vice President of Engineering – Holmes is a veteran engineering leader with extensive expertise in robotics and mission-critical hardware systems. He has held engineering and technical leadership roles at Google, Rivian, Intel, and Saildrone Inc., where he developed and scaled resilient hardware platforms for real-world deployment.
- Brooke Brown, Senior Director of Marketing – Brown brings a strong agriculture foundation and has held marketing leadership roles at major equipment OEMs, where she built commercial programs supporting dealers, partners, and product launches across North America.
- Joe Wieciek, Senior Director of Engineering Operations and Services – Wieciek is known for scaling complex hardware-software platforms from pilot to full commercial deployment. He previously led field operations, fleet reliability, and customer success initiatives at autonomous technology companies including Outrider and Brain Corp.
For more information about Agtonomy’s leadership team and mission, visit www.agtonomy.com.
CAPTION
Former GM executive Michael Abbott joins Agtonomy’s Board of Directors.
ABOUT AGTONOMY
Agtonomy is a software and AI services company bringing intelligent automation to agriculture, turf, and land maintenance. Its platform, embedded in commercial equipment through leading OEM partnerships, delivers real-world automation proven in the most complex operating environments. Agtonomy helps customers work more efficiently, safely, and sustainably—without sacrificing precision or control.
Contact
Jennifer Goldston
AgTech PR
[email protected]