Starr Guidance, a precision agriculture startup founded by former South Dakota State University student Davis Thompson, has sold tractor auto-steer units to farmers in 12 states within a matter of months — a rapid footprint for a company whose first products were assembled in a Brookings bedroom.

Thompson, who grew up in Houston before enrolling at SDSU in Brookings, began building auto-steer units for tractors while still a student. That work became Starr Guidance, which now markets itself as a low-cost alternative for growers who want to retrofit existing tractors rather than buy new machines to access precision agriculture capability.

The company's value proposition rests on two levers that matter directly to farm margins: input savings and labor simplicity. The technology applies inputs more precisely across fields, cutting waste in seed, fertilizer and crop-protection spending, and it makes operating equipment easier for the farmer in the cab.

Thompson laid out his path from Houston to South Dakota and into agricultural entrepreneurship in a July 14, 2026 conversation with Sioux Falls Live Editor Patrick Lalley, published by Agweek on July 15, 2026.

Why does retrofit steering matter for input costs?

Auto-steer and guidance systems are the entry point to precision agriculture for most operations. By reducing overlap and pass-to-pass error, guidance retrofits let growers apply seed, fertilizer and chemicals only where intended. For farms running older tractors, a third-party retrofit sidesteps the capital cost of a new precision-equipped machine — the core of Starr Guidance's pitch as a low-cost upgrade path.

How fast has the company grown?

The sales record stands at 12 states within the first few months of operation, according to the interview. That geographic spread across a multi-state row-crop and small-grain footprint suggests demand from growers weighing retrofit costs against new-equipment prices.

The company has not disclosed unit volumes, pricing per unit, or revenue figures, so its claimed traction cannot yet be checked against audited sales data. The 12-state figure is a company-reported count of customer locations, not a verified shipment total.

Who is behind the company?

Thompson is the founder and public face of Starr Guidance. His route into the business ran through SDSU in Brookings, where he moved after growing up in Houston, Texas. The interview with Lalley covered both the entrepreneurship story and how he ended up in South Dakota.

What comes next?

Starr Guidance faces the standard tests of an input-market entrant: proving durability of home-grown hardware at scale, supporting customers across a 12-state service territory, and competing on price against established guidance suppliers. The company's next milestones — expanded sales, disclosed pricing, or dealer partnerships — will show whether the retrofit niche can sustain a startup built from a dorm-room prototype.