Cooperative Ventures announced an investment in OpenTug, an AI-native logistics technology company that focuses on inland and coastal marine transportation. The investment firm, a joint venture between CHS Inc. and GROWMARK, invests in agtech startups and develops commercial relationships that deliver long-term value for farmers and cooperatives.
CHS is working to implement OpenTug’s barge management system to build efficiency in the company’s supply chain.
OpenTug’s BargeOS platform optimizes marine logistics by streamlining commercial planning, voyage management, invoice reconciliation and reporting in one unified system. The technology helps shippers and carriers reduce idle barge days, improve ETA prediction accuracy and minimize demurrage charges.
The platform combines integrated barge GPS monitoring with BargeOS Autopilot’s automated ingestion of traffic reports and operational emails. Users gain a real-time view of barge movements and voyage activity.
“Partnering with CHS and GROWMARK allows us to accelerate digital transformation across one of America’s most critical supply chains,” said Jason Aristides, CEO of OpenTug. “With BargeOS, we’re turning data into actionable insights that help cooperatives and farmers move product more efficiently, reduce waste, and strengthen return on investment.”
David Black, executive vice president and chief information officer of CHS Inc., said cooperatives rely on cost-effective transportation to move grain, fertilizer and other products through the supply chain.
“OpenTug’s platform offers a digital bridge to improve visibility and coordination across marine freight networks,” Black said.
Heather Thompson, enterprise marketing executive director at GROWMARK, said the platform has the potential to change how products move through the river system.
