A total of 11 start-ups and scale-ups have been selected to participate in the upcoming edition of the AgriFutures AgXelerate Program, a personalised program designed to support their development and help them prototype and/or commercialise their innovations for use in levied and emerging industries under AgriFutures Australia.
As part of the program, the cohort will participate in workshops, farm tours, and a series of online sessions, as well as being provided the opportunity to exhibit in Start-up Alley at evokeAG 2024 in Perth, Western Australia on 20-21 February 2024.
AgriFutures General Manager, Global Innovation Networks, Harriet Mellish said that the program will bring innovative ideas onto the global stage and further the development and adoption of world-class technologies for AgriFutures levied and emerging industries.
“Each company has a creative idea, product or service that we want to help nurture and ensure our levied and emerging industries have access to,” Mellish said. “Some of these companies already have fit-for-purpose solutions for these industries, while others taking part in the program to establish if its innovation has market fit for agriculture and these industries.
“This year’s cohort includes companies spanning from Australia to the United States and have broad areas of focus, from simulated rainfall for crop productivity to proactive animal health technology,” Mellsih added. “Through the AgriFutures AgXelerate Program, we are excited to help these companies continue to grow by fostering relationships with industry and investors, and in some cases, to kick start their engagement with specific industries. These companies have great potential to help the agrifood sector find solutions to address complex challenges for Australian agriculture, and we look forward to helping them on this journey.”
Companies selected in the AgriFutures AgXelerate Program, include:
Thoroughbred horses
- Breedr: provider of modern and paperless stallion booking alternatives.
- Protequus: a biomedical engineering firm working to protect the welfare of animals through advances in AI, biosensors, and IoT connectivity creating a smart halter for horses.
- VetChip: advocating animal health and welfare through pioneering technology, proactive monitoring systems, data analytics, and disease detection.
- Wrkplace: provider of digital software and consulting services for the Thoroughbred industry.
Export fodder
- EXTAG: provider of Smart Asset Management systems is looking to develop their technology traditionally serving the mining sector for agriculture.
Honey bees and pollination
- Boost AI: an early-stage start-up looking to utitlise AI and machine learning to help assist the needs of beekeepers and other producers.
- LB Agtech: developed BeeSTAR to authenticate the value of honey and monitor the location of hives in real-time based on global coverage connectivity and an in-house developed hive-health matrix.
Rice
- Rainstick: mimics the effects of thunderstorms to grow plants faster, bigger and more sustainably through the use of first nations knowledge of bioelectricity.
- Yarta: is creating a central ‘brain’ for farmers by providing research and news to farmers as actionable and targeted insights through an AI platform.
Sea Urchins
- OceanOne: aims to turn destructive sea urchins into premium seafood products.
Multiple industries
- Zondii: uses patented multispectral technology to deliver the world’s first real-time food and fibre verification tool.
The AgXelerate Program will kick off on 29 August with a workshop in Wagga Wagga, NSW which has been curated for the specific needs of the selected start-ups. This will be followed by a day of farm field trips to connect with producers.
The next stage will have them participate in a tailored online capacity-building program which includes sessions with a range of industry experts and mentors on topics such as funding, business models and adoption. There will also be further field trips and workshops which will culminate in their participation at evokeAG 2024 in Perth.
