Agrifood Innovation
Connecting for Strategic Business Growth
Our agri-innovation divison: AgriStart
AgriStart enables businesses to innovate and grow faster.
We specialise in agrifood and agtech innovation programs.
We provide expert advice and industry connections that fuel growth.
Latest News
The Down South adVentures Weekend is part of the 2025 BioInnovation Festival, and is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of its Support Regional Trade Events Program.
See below for more information.
Key Dates for HARVEST 2025 Announced!
See below for more information.
To express your interest in HARVEST 2025, please email [email protected].
Food and beverage manufactures wanting to scale up production or trial innovative products check out the new food manufacturing facility in the Peel region: https://www.sift.au/
Current Programs
Experience a Premium Weekend Escape: Discover Unique Investment Opportunities in Innovation, Culture, and Sustainable Industries in the South-West.
28th – 30th March 2025
AgriStart, Life Sciences WA, ForBlue and ACWA are uniting to take technology developers, end-users, and investors on a regional journey to showcase investment opportunities in the South West of WA.
With its agriculture sector worth more than $2.36b, a $1.33b sustainable coastal and marine tourism industry, and health care as the South West region’s largest employer, this weekend escape will support cross-sector opportunities through a mix of roundtable discussions, cultural experiences, and networking, threaded with themes of sustainability and impact. The Down South adVentures Weekend is part of the 2025 BioInnovation Festival, bringing together bright minds, savvy investors and experienced operators to engage with WA’s world class bioinnovation opportunities.
The Down South adVentures Weekend is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of its Support Regional Trade Events Program.
More information and to express your interest in joining this incredible weekend escape here – 2025 BioInnovation Festival
HARVEST is WA’s leading business development program for start-ups and SMEs looking to innovate in the agrifood and Agtech industries. Over the last 8 years, HARVEST programs have had more than 80 graduates and successfully delivered new connections, partners, customers, and investment opportunities to participants, while also supporting collaboration across the industry in WA.
Agristart’s HARVEST Accelerator is proudly sponsored by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
Key Dates for HARVEST 2025:
- Applications open: TBC
- Applications close: TBC
- Early HARVEST Pre-Accelerator Bootcamp: March 2025
- Two-day bootcamp: Mid June 2025
- Masterclasses and tech demos delivered in-person and/or online on a fortnightly schedule: July to September 2025
- Showcase event: August 2025
- Business strategy review and program debrief: September 2025
- Opportunity for interstate or international delegation: October 2025 TBC
To express your interest in HARVEST 2025, please email [email protected].
Previous Programs
South West Investor Tour
As part of the evokeAg 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.
To enquire about future tours, please email [email protected].
WA Agtech Delegation to attend Singapore International Agrifood Week (SIAW) 30th October – 2nd November 2023
This opportunity was open to West Australian agrifood and agtech startup businesses looking for connections in Singapore. Up to 8 were selected for the delegation, with a minimum of 4 places reserved for previous participants of the AgriStart HARVEST program.
Successful recipients received:
- $2000 travel voucher to contribute to travel costs for attending SIAW.
- Curated introductions and meetings organised with Singapore based researchers, investors, government, consumer groups and other relevant connections depending on needs of each business.
- Free ticket to the Agri-Food Tech Expo and access to the WA stand.
EOIs opened on Monday 28th August 2023 and closed at 5pm AWST on Monday 4th September 2023.
For further details please contact [email protected]
evokeAG Startup Network
Held in 2021 and 2022, the evokeAG. Startup Network aimed to build the networks and capability of Australian agrifood startups to support adoption of new technologies on farms.
Each year, up to 10 successful participants received mentorship from industry experts, attended face-to-face workshops, a showcase pitch event and networking dinner in the heart of the Riverina, Wagga Wagga, NSW, the home of AgriFutures Australia.
They also received
- Travel reimbursement up to $1,000 to attend the public event in Wagga Wagga, NSW
- Featured in the evokeAG. Startup Directory
- Featured in the evokeAG. Network, including a highlight article and podcast
- Mentorship from growers and industry professionals
- Top three grower’s choice recipients received a professionally produced pitch video, filmed on-farm, showcasing their agrifood innovation and how they can offer return on investment for their customers.
Click here for more information.
Future Works
On 1 September 2020, the Australian Government, as part of the economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, announced the Local Jobs Program in 25 Employment Regions.
In support of this, Rural Enterprises Australia, in conjunction with Agristart, created an LJP program called Future Works, which was completed in June 2022. This was supported by funding from the Australian Government through the Local Jobs Program, and was designed to address the key labour shortage experienced in the primary industries sector in the South West WA.
The objective of the Future Works program was to increase local employment opportunities for local job seekers and equip Participants with knowledge, skills and confidence for sustained employment in the industry. The Future Works program ensured a targeted approach to increasing the knowledge and understanding of the diversity of careers available in the primary industry of Agriculture, particularly Horticulture and Viticulture. This was achieved through:
Field Trips to four local employers in the Manjimup and Bunbury/Harvey regions;
Tailored Job Readiness workshops – two day sessions held across three locations – Vasse, Bunbury and Harvey.
Six online videos created to promote the Local Jobs Program:
Northern Valley Packers
Newtons Orchard
Callum, Trainee Manager
Karlee, Supervisor
Ellise, Quality Control
Ben, Dispatch
Case Studies
“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."
"HARVEST is a fantastic course; I have learnt more during the course than I have in 13 years working within a Corporate SME."
"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."