SparkLabs Cultiv8, the New South Wales startup accelerator for food and agtech, will hold its annual Demoday in Sydney on Tuesday, September 10.
The event which brings together the brightest entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, media and government leaders, while at the same time sector experts will share their insights and global tech trends. It’s also a showcase to the latest cohort through the accelerator, now in its second year.
Those startups receive up to $100,000 in seed funding from the $10 million SparkLabs Cultiv8 fund, which has now invested in 16 companies.
The 2019 SparkLabs Cultiv8 cohort hails from Australia, the US and Saudi Arabia.
This year’s companies participating in this year’s Demoday include:
InnerPlant – the world’s first biosensor sentinel plant platform, developed by a US based start up, that senses plant changes at a molecular level, alerting farmers to allow instant action.
Oaesis – based in Saudi Arabia, Oaesis is developing laser-based lighting systems for indoor farming that dramatically improve efficiency and reduce energy and watering costs.
MPT – an Australia-based business using sensors located in specially designed farm equipment to measure moisture in soil, collecting data that can be used to optimise planting and yields.
SIPP – an Australian company changing the way we think about coffee. They’ve developed a unique range of functional beverages packaged in sustainable home compostable packaging with $1 from every pouch sold donated to Wildark, an organisation dedicated to making our planet more sustainable.
The Training Paddock –an Australian-developed online skills management system providing farmers with insights about workers’ skills, and steers and validates workers’ professional development.
traive – initially being rolled out in Brazil, traive is an online lending platform using artificial intelligence and big data to support new risk-reduced lending opportunities in agriculture.
Zetifi – an Australian company that has developed affordable solar powered on-farm WiFi overcoming mobile blackspots and helping to simplify and streamline farm management.
The 2018 SparkLabs Cultiv8 graduates include Aquabyte which recently secured $10 Million Series A financing to continue transform the fish farming industry with machine learning; and distributor James Tyler, a multi-channel platform selling Australian produce through some of China’s largest “new retail” customers including AliBaba’s Hema store. It’s now the largest exporter of fresh Australian dairy to China and raised $1.4m from investors to fund their expansion.
Farmbot secured a national alliance with leading agriculture merchandise supplier Ruralco that will see Farmbot distributed nationally across some 600 stores; Hydroleap signed a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal with their largest client yet; and Ripe.io completed a $US2.4 million seed round with investors including Maersk Ventures. All up, the 2018 group have raised $33 million for their ventures.
SparkLabsCultiv8 managing director Guy Hudson said the Demoday showcases new products, services and business models developed by startups to attract investment and funding.
“It’s an opportunity for start-ups who have been through the SparkLabs Cultiv8 Accelerator Program to highlight their vision and the impact their businesses are creating,” he said.
SparkLabs Demoday will be held at the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney hotel.
The details are available here.
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