Agristart and EvokeAG will be closing applications for their collaborative agrifood tech program (Startup Network) on 5:00 pm (AEST) Monday, 17 May. The program provides participants the opportunity to find industry mentors, network with other agrifood founders and engage farmers in product trials.
To qualify, each participating startup must be registered in Australia, possess an agrifood innovation that solves on-farm challenges, have a product that is ready for trial and be founded less than five years ago:
Ten successful participants will receive mentorship opportunities and the following benefits:
- Access to exclusive webinars and one-on-one mentorship
- Feature in the EvokeAG Startup Directory
- Feature in the EvokeAG Network, including a highlight article and podcast
They will also receive a $1000 reimbursement for travel to Riverina, Wagga Wagga, NSW for a pitchcraft workshop (Monday, 19 July) and a 3-minute pitch (Tuesday, 20 July). The top three participants will go on to receive a professionally produced pitch video for their product, showcasing how it can offer a return on investment.
Agristart
Founded in 2017, Agristart has set up multiple agritech events and metorships, such as CONNECT Regional Innovation Hubs and HARVEST 2.0. The Agristart team consists of Dr Natasha Ayers (Managing Director and co-founder) and Peter Rossdeutscher (Director and co-founder) and Claire Marchand-Johns (Communications Manager).
Dr Natasha Ayers will be delivering the Startup Network program. She has a PhD in Plant Biology, extensive experience in agricultural research and innovation, and is a judge for WA innovator of the year awards.
Too often startups are afraid to go to farmers until their product is perfect. They are scared to put farmers off. But my personal opinion is that they need to go to farmers to get that early feedback on prototypes.
Dr Natasha Ayers
EvokeAG
Launched in 2019, EvokeAG provides a digital news platform and runs premier agrifood events. They have an extensive list of contributors who work and report on the agrifood industry. The topics they cover include tech, research, investment, food and farming.
For startups, they provide practical advice via their grassroots series virtual sessions, listings on their directory and a database that aggregates information relevant to startups.
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