Australian rural connectivity company Zetifi heads to New York - evokeAG.

Use of cookies

The evokeAG. website uses cookies to enhance your experience and optimise site functionality.

Please refer to our Cookie Policy for more information on which cookies we use and how we collect and use your personal information through cookies

Skip to Content Skip to Navigation

Australian rural connectivity company Zetifi heads to New York

Powering fast and reliable long-range connectivity is the end goal for Zetifi, that’s seen the Australian company gain world-wide recognition and successfully launch in the US market.

4 min read

From humble beginnings in the backroom of a local computer store in Wagga Wagga, NSW in 2018, rural connectivity company Zetifi is set to go global with an office in Rochester, New York.

The exciting milestone has been fast-tracked by the US$500,000 prestigious prize Zetifi claimed in the 2020 Grow-NY business competition and through connections from evokeAG. 2019, that’s been the springboard for much of the company’s growth and development over the last two years.

Zetifi CEO and Founder Dan Winson explained, “evokeAG. was the event where I really got to present and test my ideas to a large audience and it introduced me to many of the partner companies that have supported us as we’ve refined our products, including AuctionsPlus and CaseIH.”

“The confidence I took from my evokeAG. experience and the projects that resulted from the event were critical in refining the offering we presented for the Grow-NY business competition – evokeAG. really accelerated our trajectory.”

To add to this exciting growth period, Zetifi has recently been selected as one of the five investment-ready startups to pitch at the invite-only 2022 evokeAG. Investor Dinner, offering fruitful opportunities to connect with domestic and international investors.

RELATED: evokeAG. 2022 Startup Program cohort announced – evokeAG.

Chief Technology Officer, Ben Letchford, relocated from Wagga Wagga to Rochester, New York in early December 2021 to become Zetifi’s first US employee and establish the new office. As he explained, the state of New York didn’t always seem like the ideal place for a company that provides Wi-Fi for farmers.

“When the idea of relocating to New York was suggested, ‘I said yes’ without hesitation but it also conjured visions of bright lights and skyscrapers so it was hard to believe there was a big enough need for our products,” said Ben.

“I’ve since learnt that in the farming areas of Upstate New York, poor mobile phone service is a big issue.”

Agritech solution set to remedy US connectivity challenges

Proximity to these areas around Rochester where connectivity solutions are needed is a key reason why the city has been chosen for the company’s US base, but Ben won’t be getting his boots dirty too soon.

“My role is mainly behind a computer screen overseeing the development of the systems and software we use to deploy fairly sophisticated Wi-Fi networks in areas where most people can’t, unless you have a network engineer handy,” explained Ben.

“Rochester and the surrounding area have a much bigger population than Wagga and we’ve heard great things about the talent pool of software and network engineers, so once I’m settled, we’ll be recruiting new staff to build a US development team.”

Zetifi CEO and Founder Dan Winson is thrilled that they’re finally able to fulfil the company’s plans for a US office and launch after a year of delays due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

“This step has been in the works ever since we were fortunate enough to be awarded the prize by the Grow-NY competition committee,” said Dan.

“Our contacts at Grow-NY have been very understanding but the delays have certainly been a source of frustration as Rochester provides such a great platform for US direct sales and trials that we’re keen to get up and running with farmers in the region.”

Ben’s move to New York isn’t the only staff movement that is a source of pride for the business which has grown from 9 to 15 full-time staff over the last 12 months.

“As much as we’re excited about Ben moving to New York, we’re just as pleased to be creating new jobs in Wagga Wagga and giving people a reason to relocate to the region,” said Dan.

“Over the last year, we’ve had five team members relocate from either Sydney or Melbourne to join our team in software, networking and marketing roles.

“They’re absolutely loving the change in lifestyle and we’re incredibly grateful to have their skills in the business.”

Learn more about Zetifi’s global expansion and upcoming 2022 evokeAG. Investor Dinner Pitch here

Read more news
Read more news

Read

Calling all ag educators: five reasons why you should add evokeAG. to your professional development plan

Award-winning high school teacher Scott Graham, from Barker College in Sydney, is a leader in the field of agricultural education. In eight years, he’s helped more than triple enrollments of agriculture students at the College, is examining how to improve agriculture teaching at high school for his PhD and has picked up a Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. Here’s why he thinks that attending AgriFutures evokeAG. is some of the “best professional learning that a teacher can do” and some tips for making the most of it.

Tech
1 Sep 2023
4 min read

Listen

Humans of Agriculture: 2023 Future Young Leader Malkah Lara-Muckenschnabl

When Future Young Leader Malkah Lara-Muckenschnabl stepped off the stage at AgriFutures evokeAG. after presenting her vision to revolutionise recruitment in agriculture, her phone lit up with messages of congratulations and potential networks to bring that vision to life. In this Humans of Agriculture podcast with Oli Le Lievre, Malkah talks about her childhood on farms in South America, her innovative idea to break down the barriers between agricultural employers and employees, and how applying for the Future Young Leaders program was a risk worth taking.

Future
31 Aug 2023

Measurement and markets: empowering producers to make the most of natural capital

Farming in today’s economic climate is a battle between productivity and sustainability but what if there was a way for these two objectives to be achieved in tandem? Is it possible to grow economic prosperity at the same time as we diminish our carbon footprint? Could we revitalise Australia’s landscapes by the way we farm them? As it turns out, the answer lies in the hands of our farmers.

Farm
31 Jul 2023
5 min read

Highlights from evokeAG. 2023

In this evokeAG. 2023 podcast series you can hear from global change makers and thought leaders who examine how innovation and tech intersect to improve our agrifood sector. These conversations tackle some of the big challenges for our food, farmers and natural resources, exploring tech-savy solutions and opportunities to drive change.

Tech
6 Jun 2023

The fringe benefits of agtech

The application of agtech is often positioned to improve operational efficiency, profitability and sustainability. But could this narrow definition be limiting the adoption of agtech on farm and in the supply chain?

Farm
3 May 2023
4 min read