Highlights from Australian agrifood innovation.

Global interest in Australian agrifood innovation is expected to continue its exceptional growth trajectory based on the latest user statistics released by AgriFutures Australia analysing the uptake and usage of its online investment platform, grow^AG..

EcoSystem Farms has pioneered a soilless farming platform that symbiotically integrates aquaculture with agriculture – boosting yields across both. With the flexibility to produce all manner of crops and farmed fish, anywhere across the world, the Adelaide-based startup is seeking investors to bring to market a product that could transform the way we grow food.

Have you ever had an idea about how to reduce some of that waste? Here's your chance to turn your idea into a business. CSIRO is running an Inspiration + Ideation for Upcycled Ingredients From Food Loss workshop in February to connect idea makers with industry to launch successful new companies under a model called Venture Science.

Tegan Nock of Australian microbial tech startup, LoamBio, and Louisa Burwood-Taylor of the go-to global investment news platform, explore on the lastest AgriFutures grow^AG. podcast, the key investment trends and noteworthy funding rounds, from the recent AgFunder 2022 Asia-Pacific AgriFoodTech Investment Report.

Two of the world’s most highly regarded research bodies, ANU and CSIRO, are offering up their elite researchers and state-of-the-art facilities at a new innovation hub to support emerging products and businesses in the agriculture food space.

The Asia-Pacific bucks global venture capital decline, with India surpassing China as the powerhouse in the first half of 2022, and farm tech deals doubling in the region. Here Louisa Burwood-Taylor breaks down AgFunder’s 2022 Asia-Pacific AgriFoodTech Investment Report, and Tegan Nock of LoamBio, an Australian microbial tech startup, digs deep into the rich opportunities for farmers to decarbonise our planet.

The grip of climate change is being felt in the world’s vineyards - disrupting practices that have been built up over thousands of years. Small changes in temperatures are resulting in large fluctuations in yield and quality across seasons. Deep Planet says viticulture is the canary in the coal mine for the broader agriculture industry and is seeking investment to further develop the next generation of monitoring solutions to help winemakers adapt.

Industrial automation company Indyn has developed the world-leading “Platypus” analyser, taking human error out of the grain inspection process to revolutionise biosecurity and agri-trade. The founders are ready to go global and are seeking the right business partners to help them do it. 

Graeme Barnett, Managing Director & CEO of Qponics speaks in a podcast about their innovative marine microalgae solution, how it can help droughtproof agriculture and become a major player in the future of protein production. Qponics is now seeking a $1m bridging round to scale the co-production of protein-rich food ingredients and high-value oils

Meat & Livestock Australia is seeking expressions of interest from global collaborators with solutions to objectively measure value characteristics – from productivity, welfare and eating quality to marbling potential – in live animals. With the potential to transform decision-making for producers, feedlotters, and processors, it’s a research priority that’s turning a lot of heads.       

Queensland agritech company, Qponics is on a mission to accelerate the transition to drought proof agriculture, by cultivating marine microalgae at scale for the co-production of protein-rich food ingredients and high-value oils. To achieve this, Qponics is seeking impact investors to support the development of a new microalgae production complex in South Ballina, NSW, and scale sustainable oil and protein production in Australia.  

Agronomist and 2021 Young Farmer of the Year Emma Ayliffe and her business partner at Summit Ag, Heath McWhirter, crisscross the country advising farmers on how to improve their crop production and soil health. Now the pair is helping farmers connect with each other, with a purpose-built social media app for agriculture – YackerApp. With a thousand users and growing, Emma and Heath are looking for investors to take YackerApp to the next level.