AgriStart has launched its agri-food innovation program HARVEST, with the announcement of the 2020 cohort made up of 12 innovative WA businesses who are solving a diverse mix of problems in the areas of agtech, foodtech, value-add food, logistics, sustainable farming practices, agri-tourism, and education.
Following a kick-off workshop, the HARVEST launch featured each of the selected businesses sharing a snapshot of their technologies and talents to sponsors, HARVEST alumni, mentors, and industry stakeholders.
The cohort then heard from James Williamson from Latitude 28, a HARVEST 2018 success story, who listed raising thecompany profile, strategic business analysis and direct introductions to supply partners, investors, government and industry bodies as some of the key benefits of the program.
Liam O’Connell, Executive Director at Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), HARVEST’s major partner, spoke about DPIRD’s continued support of innovators in the agri-food industry through the HARVEST program, and made the exciting announcement that evokeAg, Asia Pacific’s largest agri-food tech event, will be held in Perth next year.
Over the next 3 months HARVEST will focus on future technologies for agtech and food innovation, creating relevant connections and new collaborations for the cohort. The program will feature highly interactive workshops, mentoring, industry panel discussions, agri-corporate speed dating, and industry field trips including a site visit with Airbus, bootcamp at Muresk Institute’s Smart Farm,and a wheatbelt field trip.
HARVEST is now in its third year and has successfully delivered new connections, partners, customers, and investment opportunities to more than 30 graduates. The program has attracted high calibre businesses, including a finalist in the 2017 Innovator of the Year Awards, 2018 AgriFutures Rural Leaders finalist and 40/40 winners.
The exciting 2020 line up of innovative businesses are:
Exponant
Exponant focuses on robotic technology that adds value to the workplace, endeavoring to maximise ROI while at the same time creating safer workplaces. We are interested in supporting technologies for horticulture harvesting and are prototyping robot technology for strawberry harvesting.
Cowaramup Brewing Company
Cowaramup Brewing Company focuses on improving the sustainability of its products and processes. The removal of grain after brewing is a waste management issue that could be solved through the development of innovative high value products from brewery waste, such as alternative protein powders, muesli bars or cereals.
Stellular
Stellular is creating readily accessible, high-speed communications services in remote locations. Applied to the agricultural industry, this will improve yield, efficiency and profitability through the use of innovative, data-intensive solutions such as real-time airborne imaging for crop health analysis and remote veterinarian diagnostic services.
Gelavo Pty Ltd
Gelavo is a first to market, dairy-free, vegan friendly ice cream that has no coconut or tree nut base. The product was developed by Curtin University food science alumni to deliver Australia’s first shelf-stable avocado based ice cream, and also reduces food waste by using second-grade avocados and other fruits.
Feral AI Pty Ltd
Feral.AI is like Siri for farmers, a digital assistant helping farmers grow and sell more food. Farmers easily add data to the app which is analysed using artificial intelligence. Feral.AI then provides actionable insights for farmers on how they can improve productivity and also notifies farmers on offers they receive from buyers.
Loafers Artisan
Loafers Artisan is a wholesale bakery that focuses on innovative products using WA grown and processed grains, including lupins, and is able to test new products made with heritage grains and shelf stable dietary breads.
Catel
Catel is an online fractional investing marketplace uniting farmers and investors through their food and fibre creation. The platform will disrupt the challenges farmers face around financial capital raising as well as simplifying and introducing a new way to invest.
Emu Lane
Emu Lane will look to utilise excess production from multiple producers to create high value products, rather than letting it go to waste or used for low value return. They aim to assist in creating more product diversity in local food ranges.
WA Backyard Oats
We are oat growers launching a 100% WA sown, grown & processed oat range to local and international markets. Bringing together WA premium produce, we aim to create a WA premium oat range offering muesli, a ‘’bake at home’’ convenience range and of course traditional rolled and instant oats.
Hippie Food Company
Hippie Food Co is an organic Kombucha Brewery, and are pioneering a reuse model, to help reduce unnecessary waste & packaging. Through likeminded partnerships in industry, they’re looking to connect the dots towards a circular economy business model, that supports all parts of the ecosystem and delivers better value to their clients.
Mortlock Malt
Mortlock Malt is Western Australia’s first independent craft malt producer, creating fully traceable premium quality malts that are grown, harvested and malted on our 5th generation family farm, using sustainable agricultural practises.
PrimeX
PrimeX will enable the agri-food industry to have input into the educative promotion of their businesses by harnessing the content that industry would like consumers to better understand and packaging these messages into a first-hand practical experience.