In the East coast bubble, it’s easy to forget that Australia’s economy is in large part powered by heavy industry and of course, agriculture. Recently, the technology and agriculture sectors collided at the evokeAG conference in Perth, organised by Agrifutures Australia. Within a theme of Exceptional Edge, Agrifutures Chair Cathy McGowan highlighted the importance of connecting, building communities… Read more »
Statistically speaking, my daughters are underrepresented. They’re female, regionally located, and one has a disability. Recently, I asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. One wants to work in an office and drink coffee “like Mummy”, and the other wants to be a doctor. I asked them about being a scientist,… Read more »
After three long years, evokeAG finally returned, bringing the Australian agri-food tech industry together. We loved meeting and reconnecting with friends and collaborators over the past few engaging, thought-provoking, and exhausting (in the best way possible) days. evokeAG also provided an opportunity to reflect on what we, as an industry, have collectively achieved so far,… Read more »
NSW tech startup Oceanfarmr, previously known as SmartOysters, has raised$1.45 million in a bridging round. Oceanfarmr is one of 23 impact tech startups to receive investment from Katapult VC and its accelerator program, selected from 1,900 candidates in 62 countries. The fresh capital will allow the aqua farming tech and finance startup to ramp up… Read more »
An artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digital assistant called Aimer has raised NZ$1 million to help dairy farmers with pasture management Kiwi startup Aimer Development was backed by food and agritech accelerator Sprout in the fifth of 30 $1 million investments the VC plans to make. Aimer founder and Chief Technical Officer Jeremy Bryant has spent more than… Read more »
Australia is well-positioned to build and maintain a large and healthy agricultural industry ($81 billion of production in 2021/22). Australia also has a unique opportunity to leverage our higher-education infrastructure, skilled workforce and sophisticated capital markets to integrate modern technology into our agricultural industry for the purpose of vastly improving the volume of high-quality agricultural… Read more »
New Zealand agritech startup Protag has raised NZ$1 million for its smart ear tag sensors for the dairy industry. Investment firm Sprout led the round, with support from US-based Finistere Ventures, Kiwi dairy giant Fonterra, and Israeli venture builder OurCrowd, with support from NZ government agency Callaghan Innovation’s Technology Incubator Programme. The cash will fast… Read more »
From an idea conceived over a farm kitchen table to a $100 million business in seven years, Australian livestock management platform AgriWebb has been anything but an overnight success, says co-founder and Executive Chairman Justin Webb. Looking back on setting up AgriWebb with John Fargher and Kevin Baum in 2014, self-confessed “math geek” Justin Webb… Read more »
New Zealand agritech startup Croptide, which transmits plant water health to a farmer’s phone in seconds, has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding. The round led by Icehouse Ventures with support from Sir Stephen Tindall’s K1W1 and Masfen Group. Croptide uses internet-enabled sensors to provide timely water measurement data to fruit and wine grape growers.… Read more »
Decarbonisation startup Loam Bio, which uses microbes microbes to sequester carbon in farm soils, has raised $40 million in a series A. The round is led by Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures. Other investors include Main Sequence Ventures, Horizons Ventures, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Acre Venture Partners, Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, and Fiona… Read more »
Telstra has backed a remote monitoring technology startup in a $2.7 million raise. The telco chipped in $1 million with Macdoch Ventures, Follow the Seed and three Farmbot Monitoring Solutions customers also funding the round. Farmbot is already looking towards a series B round in early 2022. The company is looking to expand into the US… Read more »
Construction of the first processing plant to use a seaweed-based feed supplement for cows to reduce their methane production by 90% will begin near Port Pirie towards the end of this year. The $90 million advanced processing facility will be built by Pirie Meats, with CH4 Global, Organic Technology Holdings and Siemens Australia signed up… Read more »
Australian and New Zealand startups have until Friday to enter the Bridge Hub 2020 Water Challenge aims to solve water problems across the agri-supply chain. A prize pool of $250,000 in cash and investment is up for grabs in the competition, with entries closing on August 28. Craig Shapiro, co-founder of Bridge Hub, said big… Read more »
The Asia Pacific’s largest agrifood tech event, evokeAG, is coming to Melbourne next February and lifting its startups game with four agrifood tech startups being given the chance to will pitch directly to an invitation-only investor dinner, alongside room for 40 startups to showcase their wares. evokeAG, 18-19 February, 2020, at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition… Read more »
Artesian Venture Partners has partnered with the Grains Research and Development Corporation to launch GrainInnovate, a $50 million agtech fund.
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