#Investment

The application of agtech is often positioned to improve operational efficiency, profitability and sustainability. But could this narrow definition be limiting the adoption of agtech on farm and in the supply chain?

Between a growing global population and the effects of extreme weather events, food security and climate change are intrinsically linked.
One Aussie startup is putting agriculture at the centre of the fight against climate change, using microbial technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere and boosting soil quality for farmers – at the same time.

Ten Australian growth stage agrifood tech companies have been selected by SVG Ventures|THRIVE to participate in their new Asia-Pacific (APAC) Accelerator program, based out of Melbourne, Victoria.

In the lead up to evoke^AG. 2023 – Down to Earth we’re getting to know some of our speakers, and we’re delighted to introduce you to keynote speaker Scott Amyx, Managing Partner at Astor Perkins.

As the MC for evoke^AG.’s second Investor Pitch Dinner, Tenacious Ventures’ Sarah Nolet remarked on how much things had changed since the previous evoke^AG. in 2020 and its first Investor Pitch Dinner. Australian agritech has gone from aspiring to be a global player, Sarah says, to ‘fully established, proving to the world that we’ve arrived and we’re here to stay’. So where are Australia’s areas of global advantage, and what’s the key to maximising the future for the agrifood tech ecosystem?

Ben Martin is a former Australian Young Farmer of the Year – but he’s not resting on his laurels. The North Queensland mango grower has imported French robots to improve the consistency of his product, and that’s just the start.

Specialising in nutrient extraction technology to convert food waste into useable ingredients, has paid off for Whole Green Foods. The Western Australian startup is now raising a $2 million bridging round, with processing expansion plans and heavyweight partnerships on the horizon, such as Simplot and Ferrero – set to catapult success.

Listen to our Food Futurists x evoke^AG. podcast collaboration series with Andy Lowe, featuring Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Tenacious Ventures as they explore the rise of digital agriculture.

Western Australian startup, Aquatic AI is leading the charge with a fully automated vertical aquaculture system for marron crayfish – set to rival the iconic WA rock lobster industry. Co-founders, Andrew Walker and Michael Storey are seeking investment to develop a scaled supply chain for premium export markets.

Agritech startup, FarmLab is on a mission to help 1 million farmers sequester 1 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2025, with grand plans to scale up technology across Australia, the US and Europe – and now actively seeking investors for its $5 million Series A funding round.

South Australian agritech startup GoMicro uses a combination of simple and sophisticated technologies, including microscopic attachments and blockchain, to rethink quality assessment standards and access to agronomist advice. Now the startup is raising pre-seed funding.

Accuro, an early-stage Auckland-based startup is attracting worldwide attention with its innovative system for maturing wine and spirits and now raising a $2million funding round.