Two Leading Subscription Economy Successes That Continue to Excel in Their Markets
Deere & Company's Transition: Deere & Company, known for its agricultural machinery, is facing criticism for its shift to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, which requires customers to use integrated digital technology rather than outright ownership of machinery.
Subscription Economy Growth: The article discusses the rise of the subscription economy, where companies generate recurring revenue from customers who pay regular fees for ongoing services, contrasting it with traditional product sales.
Market Trends and Predictions: The digital transformation market is projected to grow significantly, with estimates suggesting it could reach $4.62 trillion by 2030, indicating a compound annual growth rate of 28.5%.
Adobe's Subscription Model Success: Adobe has successfully transitioned to a subscription model, with its recurring revenue contributing to substantial growth, despite a decline in stock value, showcasing the effectiveness of this business strategy in the tech sector.
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- Strong Market Performance: In 2026, farm and construction machinery stocks are soaring double digits in a sideways market, with Paccar, Caterpillar, and Deere significantly outperforming the S&P 500, indicating robust industry recovery and heightened investor confidence.
- Paccar's Impressive Earnings: Paccar's Q4 earnings report on January 27 revealed adjusted earnings of $1.06 per share and revenue of $6.8 billion, both exceeding analyst expectations, with the stock rising over 16% this year, reflecting strong demand in the heavy truck market.
- Caterpillar's Stellar Results: Caterpillar's Q4 results released on January 29 showed an 18% year-over-year revenue increase to $19.1 billion, surpassing market expectations, particularly driven by a 23% sales increase in its gas turbine division due to booming AI data center construction, with projections to double power generation equipment sales by 2030.
- Optimistic Industry Outlook: The heavy construction equipment market is forecasted to grow at an annual rate of 6.2% through 2034, reaching $372 billion, while the agriculture equipment market is expected to recover from a downturn, projected to grow at 8.6% annually through 2035, reaching $689 billion, indicating long-term investment potential.
- Startup Program Launch: John Deere has announced the selection of five companies for its 2026 Startup Collaborator Program, aimed at enhancing the technological value for customers in agriculture, construction, and roadbuilding through startup collaborations.
- Technology Expansion: The participating startups span monitoring, sensing, AI, robotics, and data-driven insights, reflecting John Deere's strategic goals in advancing precision, productivity, and sustainability across its service sectors.
- Real-Time Insights and Innovation: Wes Robinson, Vice President, stated that collaborating with startups allows for faster delivery of practical innovations that address critical challenges across various industries, ultimately enhancing customer experiences.
- History and Mission: With nearly 200 years of history, John Deere is committed to driving innovation in agriculture, construction, and forestry, emphasizing its vital role in infrastructure development and service to people worldwide.
- Startup Selection Announced: Deere & Company has revealed the five startups chosen for its 2026 Startup Collaborator Program, aimed at enhancing technology value for agriculture, construction, and roadbuilding customers through collaboration.
- Focus on Technology Collaboration: The partnerships will emphasize real-time equipment and fleet insights, advanced sensing, AI-driven robotics, and digital crop intelligence, which are expected to accelerate innovation and improve precision and productivity for customers.
- Diversity of Participating Companies: The selected startups include AIRS ML, IoTag, resonAg, TorqueAGI, and Aerobotics, covering areas such as edge AI, telematics solutions, soil sensing systems, enterprise robotics, and smart agricultural decision-making, showcasing complementary technologies.
- Strategic Implications: By closely collaborating with these startups, John Deere can explore how to translate these innovations into practical customer benefits, further solidifying its market position in the agriculture and construction sectors.
- Startup Collaboration Program: John Deere's 2026 Startup Collaborator Program has selected five companies to enhance value for agriculture, construction, and roadbuilding customers through partnerships with emerging technology firms.
- Focus on Technological Innovation: The participating startups include AIRS ML, IoTag, resonAg, TorqueAGI, and Aerobotics, covering areas such as edge AI, telematics solutions, soil sensing systems, enterprise robotics, and precision agriculture, driving technological advancements in the industry.
- Strategic Collaboration Significance: By closely collaborating with these startups, John Deere can accelerate the practical application of technological innovations, thereby enhancing customer precision, productivity, and sustainability to meet evolving market demands.
- Industry Impact: This collaboration not only demonstrates John Deere's commitment to advancing technology in agriculture and construction but also highlights its dedication to addressing critical challenges faced by the industry through innovative solutions.
Announcement of New Initiative: John Deere has announced the launch of its 2026 Startup Collaborators program aimed at fostering innovation in agriculture technology.
Focus on Collaboration: The initiative will focus on collaborating with startups to develop new solutions that enhance productivity and sustainability in farming practices.
Investment in Innovation: John Deere plans to invest in selected startups, providing them with resources and support to accelerate their growth and impact in the agricultural sector.
Long-term Vision: This program reflects John Deere's commitment to advancing agricultural technology and supporting the next generation of innovators in the industry.

Deere & Company's Transition: Deere & Company, known for its agricultural machinery, is facing criticism for its shift to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, which requires customers to use integrated digital technology rather than outright ownership of machinery.
Subscription Economy Growth: The article discusses the rise of the subscription economy, where companies generate recurring revenue from customers who pay regular fees for ongoing services, contrasting it with traditional product sales.
Market Trends and Predictions: The digital transformation market is projected to grow significantly, with estimates suggesting it could reach $4.62 trillion by 2030, indicating a compound annual growth rate of 28.5%.
Adobe's Subscription Model Success: Adobe has successfully transitioned to a subscription model, with its recurring revenue contributing to substantial growth, despite a decline in stock value, showcasing the effectiveness of this business strategy in the tech sector.







