Driving Innovation in the Agrifood Sector

A premium regional event that showcased investment opportunities across innovation, culture, and sustainable industries in WA’s South West through roundtables, cultural experiences, and networking

The evokeAG Startup Network supported 10 startups by building networks and helping drive on-farm adoption. Each received mentorship from industry experts, attended workshops and presented at a pitch showcase, were featured in the evokeAG. Startup Directory, network articles, and a professionally produced on-farm pitch video.

Presented an exciting opportunity for regional based WA startups, agtech startups, or businesses solving problems in regional WA, to have their business featured at West Tech Fest in Perth, Asia Pacific’s Innovation Festival.

Rural Enterprises Australia and AgriStart delivered the Future Works program to tackle labour shortages in South West WA’s primary industries. The program increased local employment opportunities by equipping participants with skills, knowledge, and confidence for sustained work in agriculture.

As part of the evokeAg 2024 conference held in Perth, a tour to the southwest of WA provided a unique opportunity to showcase talent to interstate and international investors. This tour connected Agtech start-ups to investors, in an immersive tour of the beautiful Margaret River wine region.

Food and beverage manufactures wanting to scale up production or trial innovative products check out the new food manufacturing facility in the Peel region

Innovation Cluster MD Natasha Teakle gives insight into how our programs are connecting researchers and tech start-ups with growers to trial innovations, putting technology and data in the hands of farmers and, ultimately, reduce costs, improve yield and make life easier on farm.

AgriStart’s HARVEST Accelerator supported four DPIRD startup packages for alumni to join the Singapore International Agrifood Week 2024. Highlights included the WA Showcase at AFTEA, a Team WA dinner, exclusive networking events, and optional tours.

“Agristart’s HARVEST program has exceeded my expectations in terms of what I am learning and the invaluable connections I have made with key players from WA’s most significant agrifood businesses. The program has helped me to refine my thinking and given me more confidence in the approach I am taking with my business. The thoughtfulness of the program that has been put together cannot be understated and I’m very grateful to have been included in the 2025 cohort.”

“The project was outstanding! I’m really pleased and happy that I made the decision of participating. As new to the region and to the sector, it provided me with tools, connections and a feeling for the industry that would have taken me at least a year to acquire.”

“Importantly, HARVEST helped us connect directly with growers. Those early conversations have now turned into real partnerships, with growers being the first to adopt our technology. Overall, our experience with HARVEST has been very positive, both during and after the program. It has opened several doors for us, and we highly recommend it.”

“The free support and individual attention we received from supply partners, government and industry bodies would not have been possible without HARVEST.”

“We were given strategic formulas to look at the business objectively to find the best path forward, and we were able to decide to proceed with food for human consumption, not pet feed or pharmaceuticals. We learnt about and applied cost analysis, cash flow, and benchmark pricing.”

“We developed our complex excel model of myFARMSMART into a simplified digital platform. The contacts and knowledge that we gained from HARVEST expedited this process.”

“HARVEST delivered program excellence in terms of its structure and delivery, and was led by knowledgeable and professional people. [HARVEST] has accelerated the development of my product from what I thought the farmers wanted, to a product they needed.”

“We’re expanding our state based reach and the contacts and people we’ve worked with are countless, and majority are a direct result of HARVEST. We’re all excited and energised for the opportunities we’re now facing, and will be encouraging every business that’s looking for similar, to jump on board the next [HARVEST] program.”

“We are very excited to be a part of the 2024 HARVEST cohort. There are so many great start up companies led by amazing innovators that are involved in this program. It has been great to get to know them and learn from them. Thanks AgriStart, Innovation Cluster and Natasha Teakle and team for providing this amazing program to showcase these start up businesses and provide invaluable introductions to industry partners to understand what the industry is seeking and exposure to these great businesses.”

Hy-Boost Technology

“HARVEST helped us by raising our domestic profile and focusing our attention in a different way when strategically analysing our business. It also helped with direct introductions to supply partners, government and industry bodies. An amazing platform for people to utilise and take advantage of the opportunities presented.”

Managing Director, Orijin Plus

“We’ve been passionately trying to expand our reach into the regions and the inclusive nature of the HARVEST program, the ability to bring the team through at different stages and different times of availability, allowed us – during an extraordinarily difficult & challenging time – to make some fantastic connections into Wheatbelt distribution. And through connections we’ve been able to make solid inroads to regional access, and do business the way we always wanted – ethically, and co-operatively with other brands. Almost on a daily basis, we’re expanding our state based reach and the contacts and people we’ve worked with are countless, and majority are a direct result of HARVEST.”

Hippie Food Co. Managing Director

“Innovation and change is needed to address the issues we are facing in the ag industry and this is a driver of the Government’s support for initiatives such as the HARVEST Agtech Accelerator. HARVEST is helping to grow the businesses that will future proof WA’s agriculture sector and provide technological solutions to help our industry. HARVEST is empowering innovators to turn good ideas into great ideas and then into commercial success stories.”

Member for Agricultural Region

“Thank you for a priceless opportunity to connect with tech companies, build relationships with farmers and stakeholders. The main benefits were understanding of financials, making connections with others relevant to the business, learning to pitch, refining our story for sharing, networking including meeting with industry decision makers like the Minister for Agriculture. We feel that the benefits above also helped us succeed in obtaining a Regional Economic Development Grant and Nuffield Scholarship.”

GrubsUp Founder & Managing Director

“HARVEST opened the door to the agricultural sector with introductions to the big players, for example the CEO of Ag World, and taught me how to talk to farmers to discover their pain points and bring them into the process early while creating the foundations of the technology to help the GeoMoby team construct a roadmap to provide a range of solutions to drastically improve farmers’ locations based services. I am currently in negotiations with two large overseas-owned north west cattle farms who have been provided proposals due to their interest in GeoMoby solutions for tracking livestock patterns of movement, and water levels. Since HARVEST GeoMoby has grown steadily to 15 team members across 3 continents.”

CEO, GeoMoby

“The highlight has been the network building – from the companies in the Startup Network through to the connections at both dinners. We greatly appreciated the open sharing of experiences and knowledge from the founders who understood the path we are all on. We felt very well prepped for the investor dinner through the sharing of contacts and allowing us to be well and truly integrated into the investor community.”

Co-founder, HydGene Renewables

“Agristart’s HARVEST program has exceeded my expectations in terms of what I am learning and the invaluable connections I have made with key players from WA’s most significant agrifood businesses. The program has helped me to refine my thinking and given me more confidence in the approach I am taking with my business. The thoughtfulness of the program that has been put together cannot be understated and I’m very grateful to have been included in the 2025 cohort.”

R-Flow Exchange

“Thank you for the wonderful opportunities provided through this program. I’m extremely grateful — it was truly valuable and gave me some great insights. I really appreciate the effort your amazing team put into organising everything. Building an AgTech startup in WA hasn’t been easy, but I’m glad to have the support of Innovation Cluster along the way.”

Health and Spice Pty Ltd