Highlights from Australian agrifood innovation.

From insects to indoor greens, Australian startups demonstrate the potential for novel farming systems at home and abroad. With the support of grow^AG.'s marketplace, three Aussie startups - ARC Ento Tech, Invertigro and the Gaia Project Australia, are gaining more visibility and investment.

Are you an agrifood tech founder looking to attract investment, scale operations, find strategic partners or expand your network? AgriFutures grow^AG. is Australia's premier agrifood innovation marketplace, and a global gateway to amplify your solution, make meaningful connections and accelerate your path to market. 

Revolutionary traceability platform, powered by Orijin Plus is helping build trust and transparency within Australia’s export food chain while driving loyalty and repeat purchases among Asian consumers. Now the Aussie startup is raising a $5 million seed round to support its Singapore launch. 

A bilateral UK-Australia space programme geared to maximise agriculture’s climate resilience through the application of Earth observation data and technology, is seeking Expressions of Interest for research funding.

Gaia Project Australia’s Rejig-Grow System is helping leafy green farmers maximise space and efficiency with an innovative, modular system that expands with natural growth cycles – halving operational costs and doubling yield. With a successful prototype for NASA and global expansion plans GPA is now raising its A$2 million seed round.

Ripe Robotics is on the hunt for investors to join them on the journey towards automating the food-growing process. Its technology aims to help farmers overcome labour shortages by autonomously picking fruit, with a $2.8 million seed investment round to help expand its fleet.

LYRO Robotics is helping prevent food wastage and increase efficiency with its intelligent pattern packing machine. The internationally acclaimed technology is gaining traction with producers, and now raising a seed investment round of US$3-3.5 million.

Athena IR-Tech's irrigation sensing technology has proven to reduce water use by 35% in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and up to 75% in Shiraz grapes through monitoring plant transpiration. A unique opportunity now exists for investors and commercial partners to scale its global expansion in wine and horticulture regions.

ARC Ento Tech is seeking $10 million Series A funding to help expand its patented waste management technology into global markets. The ARC process utilises the Black Soldier Fly to process mixed solid waste into high grade insect meal and high nutrient fertiliser. After overwhelming feedback from initial trials, the company is ready to take the next step.

Harnessing the power of lightning to advance the science of food production may seem like an impossible task, but a pair of Cairns-based entrepreneurs are turning that dream into reality with Rainstick, an agritech innovation that’s helping speed up growth rates, increase yield and stop mould before it sets in.

Australia’s first ingredient manufacturer for plant-based meat products, Harvest B, is raising a $A2-2.5m Seed II round to fund its transition from a successful research and development phase to a business with commercial operations and tier 1 FMCG customers.

Australia’s livestock export industry is on the hunt for viable agritech solutions to drive efficiencies and economic benefits across the supply chain. Using Open Innovation, the Livestock Export RD&E Program are now seeking submissions to six key challenges.