#Invest

Venture capital is drying up, and agtech startups are feeling the chill. But Australia’s agtech sector is not just weathering the storm - it’s quietly building a more resilient, better-aligned future. Here, Tenacious Venture’s Maddie Mitchell and Sarah Nolet explore why now might be the most strategic time to invest in agtech, and how Australia’s unique trajectory could be its greatest strength.

Since 2019 the Western Australian Government has supported more than 40 agtech founders to attend evoke^AG. and it’s paying dividends.

First Nations peoples should be offered financial loans similar to the HECS scheme that operates in Australian universities, to purchase freehold title land and apply First Nations agricultural systems that have Cared for Country for over 60,000 years.

Beanstalk AgTech will showcase eight innovators advancing to the second phase of its inaugural year of the Drought Venture Studio, using a new methodology to drive commercialising agtech investment innovation, at AgriFutures evoke^AG. in February 2025.

In this episode, we’re joined by two seasoned evoke^AG. speakers and attendees: Olympia Yarger, Founder and CEO of Goterra; and Adam Anders, Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Anterra Capital.

In this evoke^AG. podcast episode we explore the relationship between a startup and its investor. Hear from Liam Hescock, founder and CEO of Australian agtech startup Azaneo, and Matthew Pryor, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Tenacious Ventures.

This week we bring you our evoke^AG. 2024 series with Ryan Rakestraw and Matt Macfarlane joining our contributor Jayne Cuddihy in conversation, exploring everything from what's ahead in the startup world tomorrow, to what's coming further down the road.

What do you get when you have leading international agrifood tech venture capitalists (VCs) and top tier private equity investors on a panel? A lot of predictions about the future, of course. But this year a panel at evoke^AG. 2024 also spoke openly about their reflections and the stark reality - a downturn in investment, coupled with geopolitical relations and inflation brings further financial headwinds. However, it’s certainly not all bad news. While entrepreneurs don’t have as much money to access from VCs, the overall agrifood tech ecosystem is maturing, with a broader awareness of the sector. 

With more applications than ever before, it’ll be a nail-biting, whip cracking, nerve wracking time when the 2024 evoke^AG. Pitch in the Paddock Competition fires up next month at Beef2024. Get to know the eight visionaries and innovators who will be going head-to-head in Rockhampton, Queensland.

A $60 million investment program designed to galvanise the research and adoption of agritech in regional farming areas has been launched by Charles Sturt University, Australia’s largest educator of agricultural students.

Collaboration and innovation are key to overcoming the challenges facing the world’s agricultural sectors. Eleven UK companies recently visited Australia with Innovate UK to create new connections at AgriFutures evoke^AG. on 20-21 February 2024 as part of an innovative program helping accelerate agritech solutions across the globe.

In a challenging market for venture capital, agrifood tech investors are not only looking for innovations that could change the world, they’re looking for the founders who can make change happen. That means resilience, creativity, and something that looks a bit like courage.
AgFunder Founding Partner Michael Dean and Olympia Yarger, Founder and CEO of maggot-powered food waste management startup, Goterra explore the funding challenges in this market. For both, the key to success comes from a passion to solve the problem – and a sheer inability to give up.