The GATE – Global Ag-tech Ecosystem is a NSW Department of Primary Industries initiative. The GATE is fast-tracking new ideas, technologies and services created by start-ups and research teams for the benefit of primary producers and society. It supports the turning of innovative ideas into commercially available products and services.

GATE partners have already fostered more than 50 businesses/research teams, raised $80million in follow on funding and generated over 100 Australian jobs. The GATE’s Demo Day has the largest participation in Australia. The GATE provides a support service to regional agricultural entrepreneurs and helps researchers communicate and develop customer orientated products to maximise research uptake.

The GATE is unique in the Australia ag tech ecosystem. It is:

• Open to both entrepreneurs and researchers, bringing together the strengths of public and private sector actors to deliver valuable new ag-tech products and services; and
• A testing ground for new ideas with access to DPI expertise and facilities of the largest agricultural R&D provider in Australia.

The GATE provides support services for Australian agricultural innovation including:

• Pitch training and mentoring;
• Incubation services to expand capabilities of innovators via 3-6 month part time program;
• Accelerator services and finance support for scale up provided by our Corporate partner Sparklabs Cultiv8;
• Advisory in commercialisation and pathways to market for R&D projects;
• DPI research trials & collaborative projects by negotiation; and
• Investor Showcases with industry R&D and venture capital partners launched in 2018 with the opening of an innovation centre in Orange, NSW.