Meet the Founders: Tiaki Aquafeeds
Almost 60% of the fish meal produced globally is used in aquaculture feeds. It’s a market on the rise but relies on finite wild-marine resources and is considered by many as unsustainable.One start-up company has its sights set on changing this with the help of insect meal and grape marc to create a more circular system.Meet Natalia Bullon and Ben Pierce, co-founders of Tiaki Aquafeeds. They are one of the ventures taking part in our three-month Sprout 2023 Accelerator in the Cohort XI intake....
September 29, 2023Sprouting up in the City of Sails
Sprout is expanding! We're delighted to share that we have staked our claim on some Auckland real estate and have just opened the doors to our Auckland office. At Sprout, we're all about fostering growth and collaboration. With our Auckland office, we're taking a stride toward cultivating and growing stronger connections, and establishing a robust presence in the agrifoodtech ecosystem. While Sprout HQ remains firmly embedded within the mighty Manawatu, we’re aware of keeping our finger on the...
September 24, 2023Sprouting Novel Innovations - this is Cohort XI
Sprout is excited to introduce the eleventh cohort entering the Sprout Accelerator, where innovation meets sustainability to shape the future of Agrifoodtech. This diverse group of entrepreneurs is collectively forging new paths to revolutionise various aspects of farming, animal health, waste management, and food.From utilising cutting-edge food technologies to introducing novel software platforms and AI, this cohort is redefining the way we approach agriculture and food technologies, and its c...
August 23, 2023Food in a Changing World: Insights from the 2023 NZIFST conference, Dunedin
Marie, our venture analyst, recently joined the food science community for the annual New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) conference in early July 2023. The theme of this year's conference, "Food in a Changing World," resonated deeply with the attendees as they exchanged knowledge, innovations, and ideas on the evolving global food landscape....
August 3, 2023Energising through Innovation - Reflections on the 2023 KPMG Agribusiness Agenda
Sprout Venture Analyst Crispin Dye had the privilege of being part of the Emerging Leaders panel, which helps shape the contents of the annual KPMG Agribusiness Agenda. Here he reviews the agenda and gives his thoughts on how this will shape the future of the agrifoodtech industry....
July 12, 2023Meet the Founders: CarbonZ
Not all carbon credits are equal. In fact, some are likely to be phantom credits and don’t represent genuine emissions reductions. It’s a huge problem as businesses around the world are attempting to get to carbon zero and might well find themselves in a sticky situation in the years to come with low quality credits.It’s a complicated industry, but one Kiwi start-up is aiming to demystify the world of carbon removal by providing authentic credits to everyday Kiwis and businesses alike.Meet...
June 14, 2023Meet the Founders: eNZyma
In 2022, the export value of wine traded by New Zealand within the international market stood at around 1.9 billion New Zealand dollars. Like all industries, there are areas where efficiencies can be made, particularly for the winemakers. This is where new Kiwi start-up eNZyma (formerly Enzyme Biosensors) enters the chat.Meet the founders Associate Professor Wayne Patrick, Dr Lee Tejada and Dr Matthew Nicholson. They are one of the start-ups taking part in our three-month Sprout 2023 Accelerator...
June 7, 2023Scratching beyond the surface - the reality of Agrifoodtech Investment in 2023
Recently, AgFunder released their annual report on the state of global Agrifoodtech investment for 2023. The 90 page report is well worth a read in full, but just in case you’re short on time heres our take on their key messages, along with how this fits in with what we’re seeing in the marketplace. The year-on-year change in investment paints a grim picture of the state of Agrifoodtech investment in 2022, diving 44% to $29.6 billion. Ouch. However, there is more to this story than meet...
June 5, 2023Meet the Founder: Ruminexus
Methane belched out by ruminant animals is responsible for 71% of our total agricultural emissions. While there are a number of potential actions to reduce methane emissions, simple and effective solutions are still in high demand.Meet the founder of Ruminexus, Dr Ghader Bashiri. He is one of the start-ups taking part in our three-month Sprout 2023 Accelerator Cohort X intake....
May 30, 2023Meet the Founders: H2Ortigator
Many young trees in the horticultural industry fail to survive and thrive causing huge losses in orchards and vineyards. A new business is seeking to solve that problem with their precision irrigation and nutrition device that brings trees up to commercial standard at least a year earlier while using fewer resources.“In my previous job as a consultant in the horticultural space, I was seeing across the board young trees dying at a rapid rate. Those that were surviving were only producing about...
May 24, 2023Meet the Founders: Jooules
It is estimated that by 2030, humanity will be consuming 800 million tonnes of protein each year, that figure is set to double by 2050 where current population estimates we’ll be feeding a population of 10 billion. That’s a lot of protein. Coupled with a capped capacity for growing crops, which is the main way in which we produce protein (crops are used to feed animals which then produce protein), there are some big issues ahead.This is where Jooules comes in. A Kiwi start-up focused on sust...
May 17, 2023Meet the Founder - Espy Earth
What do dark ships and methane have in common? The answer, they can both be found using Espy Earth technology. Derived from the nautical term ‘Espy’ meaning to see something from a long way away, and a clever play on electronic spying, Espy Earth is a satellite data intelligence business that can document the state of carbon (CO2 and methane) as well as biodiversity on land.Meet the Founder's Jill and Ian Dewey. He is one of the start-ups taking part in our three-month Sprout 2023 ...
May 9, 2023Meet the Founders: CiRCLR
New Zealand sends approximately 12.5 million tonnes to landfills each year. We have some of the highest waste figures in the OECD. 10% of that waste is organic household waste and an increasing percentage is from horticultural food loss and waste, which globally is a $600 million problem per annum.It’s a global problem, that requires a global solution. Enter CiRCLR. A matchmaking platform that removes the friction from creating circular networks by connecting waste makers with waste takers and...
May 3, 2023Meet the Founder: Metrovate
With an increasing number of the population opting to reside in cities around the globe, urban farming has become increasingly popular as people seek to provide their own form of food security. But growing plants outside of their normal environments can be challenging for many staple crops we rely on.Meet the founder, Nikolai Macnee of Metrovate. He is one of the start-ups taking part in our three-month Sprout 2023 Accelerator in the Cohort X intake....
April 24, 2023Meet the Founder: Herdsman SCC
Losses from mastitis, especially subclinical, cost farmers around the country thousands of dollars in lost production and vet bills each year. It’s one of the most common issues on dairy farms across the globe and is something that Kiwi start-up, Herdsman SCC, is tackling with their sensor technology.Meet the founder Paul Johnstone. He is one of the start-ups taking part in our three-month Sprout 2023 Accelerator in the Cohort X intake....
April 18, 2023A review: New Zealand Agricultural Climate Change Conference 2023
Crispin Dye, our Venture Analyst, attended the NZAGRC New Zealand Agricultural Climate Change Conference on 28 February. The two-day conference covered the latest policy, science and implementation actions being undertaken to reduce agricultural greenhouse gases in New Zealand. He shares his key takeaways in our latest blog....
March 29, 2023Revolutionising Agrifoodtech
An impressive list makes up the companies selected to take part in the 2023 Sprout Accelerator. Cohort X includes ten companies, each with a unique solution to address some of the biggest challenges facing the agriculture industry today.From solutions for Greenhouse Gas Emission monitoring to automated weighing and health monitoring devices for livestock this cohort is nothing if not diverse. The cohort represents innovative technologies that have the potential to drive significant improve...
March 8, 2023Join the revolution
Globally, we’ve hit an AgriTech revolution with annual investments in AgriTech hitting ten billion dollars for the past two years but Adrian Percy doesn’t think it’s enough. With over 30 years of experience, the executive director of the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative wants to see more corporations tap into the open innovation ecosystem and take advantage of the opportunities on their doorstep.“I think it's incredible when you think 10 billion has been invested each year in AgT...
February 7, 2023Viktual+ combines science, nature and indigenous wisdom for better health.
Article as featured in NZ Entrepreneur Magazine here. While there are many supplements on the market, Viktual+ is among the first to use New Zealand and Pacific native ingredients for better health. Husband and wife team Rochelle and Tana Umaga founded Viktual+ in 2021 after realising they knew too many people of their own age who had died from poor health....
November 17, 2022Scentian Bio funding to speed up disease detection via an electronic nose
Article as featured in NZ Entrepreneur Magazine here. Kiwi startup Scentian Bio, which is developing a ground-breaking technology that can detect human diseases, has been awarded a US $1.7m grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Along with a further $2.5m raise next year, this will enable a faster return on investment and staff to be hired....
November 17, 2022ProTag's smart technology to track and monitor animal health
Article as featured in NZ Entrepreneur Magazine here. Two current Massey PhD engineering students have created the world’s most advanced livestock ear tag to remotely monitor livestock, with a goal of getting them clipped on the ears of thousands of animals in 100 farms within the next four years....
November 16, 2022Don't know what to cook for dinner tonight? MenuAid AI makes the decision easy.
Article as featured in NZ Entrepreneur Magazine here. Like so many great ideas, MenuAid was born out of the need to solve a personal problem. Toby Skilton and Elise Hilliam – the founders and CEOs of MenuAid, as well as life partners – both love to cook, but were too busy to put much effort into making dinner and found themselves making the same few recipes. They were stuck in a rut, and decided to turn to artificial intelligence for help....
October 26, 2022Meet the Founders - Nunatak
Change is pressing on the agricultural industry in a huge way right now. Land use is under increasing scrutiny, and land investors and financial institutions are in need of robust and reliable data to help them manage their exposure to climate risk and identify future land use opportunities. Without adaptation it is believed that Agribusinesses might lose up to $150 USD billion by 2030. That’s where Nunatak comes in. Nunatak uses artificial intelligence and crop science to provide high s...
October 17, 2022Meet the Founders - Tokaora Diagnostics
Facial eczema costs the sheep, cattle and deer industries millions of dollars a year in lost production. The invisible (until it's too late) disease is hard to test for, and with climate warming, it will start to become a problem for more farmers around the country. So what if we could make the invisible illness visible? Enter Tokaora Diagnostics who are developing a rapid diagnostic test for facial eczema. Meet the founders, mother and son duo, Pam and Frey Livingston. They are one of the star...
October 17, 2022Meet the Founders - myWellabee
Over half a billion people around the world actively avoid food allergens when shopping for food. That figure is growing and highlights the ever-growing food intolerances and allergies issue. Navigating the complex world of food allergies and intolerances is tricky, but one determined father is on a mission to change that....
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