Startups at evokeAG seek new growth in Australia

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Pick of the crop startups seek new growth in Australia

Startups from around the world will look to sow their first seeds of success in the Australian market as part of an innovative new program making its debut in February at Asia Pacific’s premier agrifood innovation event, AgriFutures evokeAG. 

Robot for harvesting mushrooms. 4AG is transforming mushroom harvesting

Across the world, Australia has built a reputation as a launching pad for innovation. To capitalise on this, 10 international startups are heading to evokeAG. 2025 to take part in a new program designed to help introduce their global agritech solutions to the Australian market. 

Opportunity to scale for startups at evokeAG.

Agventure Downunder is a new addition to the evokeAG. 2025 Startup Program, offering the chance for selected companies from around the world to test the waters in Australia’s dynamic agrifood sector. It is aimed at startups ready to take the next step and scale into Australia, delivering an immersive experience that will allow participants to gain valuable business insights, forge connections with key stakeholders and receive tailored market access support. 

Meet the delegates 

Ten agrifood tech startups from around the world were selected to take part in Agventure Downunder Program in 2025. Included in the inaugural cohort were UK innovators LyteGro, American pioneers VIA Biofuels and Canadian tech gurus 4AG Robotics. 

LyteGro 

LyteGro uses the pulp of waste bananas to produce BacLyte, an organic extract that improves the growth and metabolism of bacterial and yeast species used in industrial processes. CEO Dr Andrew Lee said the technology delivers a win for banana producers and the end users of their products, as well as the environment. 

“Our mission is to address the huge global environmental and social issue of banana waste by making high-value microbial growth enhancers that can be used to improve the profitability and sustainability of the bio-economy – whilst also adding value to banana farmers,” Andrew said. 

“Our solution is very profitable and can turn one tonne of waste bananas into at least $40,000 of product. We plan to pay banana farmers for their waste, giving them a new and immediate revenue stream, whilst also diverting waste from landfill and thereby reducing CO2 emissions.” 

This will be LyteGro’s second visit to evokeAG., having taken part in Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme in 2024, and Dr Lee said he was hoping to build on what had been an extremely successful visit. 

“It was clear from the level of interest in our technology [at evokeAG 2024] that Australia should be our number one choice for setting up our first factory outside of the UK,” Dr Lee said. 

“The Agventure Downunder program offers a unique opportunity to expand our network to encompass further facilitators to help us establish a base in Australia and to connect with prospective customers for our products. 

“Our plan is to have localised production of our products in banana growing regions to support sales into the distilling, yeast, protein and biofuel production industries. 

“I hope I am able to excite delegates about our technology and the potential economic, environmental and social impact it can have not just in Australia but across the banana growing world.” Lytegro CEO, Dr Andrew Lee.  

VIA Biofuels 

VIA BioFuels has modified an industrial ethanol yeast strain to make 3-methylanisole (3MA), which can be used as a fuel, or as a plastics precursor. The process is less expensive than ethanol fermentation and yields a higher value product. 

Technical project manager Patricia Rohs said the startup is addressing the need for sustainable and renewable alternatives to petroleum-derived chemicals and fuels. “VIA’s innovation brings economic opportunity to the agrifood sector,” Patricia said. 

“Our continuous fermentation process is compatible with waste agricultural feedstocks that are too dilute to be used for bioethanol production. This waste valorisation generates revenue and decreases water treatment costs for agricultural facilities. 

“VIA’s product, 3MA, can also be used by the agrifood sector as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based fuels, contributing to a circular economy.” 

Patricia said VIA Biofuels was excited to be taking part in the Agventure program and had already started making connections in Australia in the lead-up to evokeAG. 2025. 

“We want to increase VIA’s sustainability impact by deploying our technology internationally. We recognise that this is only possible through partnerships.” Technical project manager Patricia Rohs. 

“Three months before the evokeAG. event, VIA has already gained value from the program, initiating discussions with another startup recipient of Agventure Downunder about potential collaboration.  

“We are excited to be immersed in the Australia innovation ecosystem during evokeAG. and we hope to make many more connections. 

“Global problems, such as our reliance on petrochemicals, can only be solved cooperatively. We hope to leave evokeAG. delegates with knowledge about how they can be part of VIA’s solution, be it as investors, feedstock providers, researchers, corporate partners, or infrastructure developers.” 

4AG Robotics 

4AG Robotics is transforming mushroom harvesting by building computer-vision guided and AI-powered robots that pick, trim and pack agaricus mushrooms.  

The mushroom industry is a $60B industry that spends $17.6B on annual harvesting costs. Mushrooms double in size every 24 hours, requiring farms to harvest every day of the year, making it an incredibly labour-intensive industry.

This reliance on labour creates significant uncertainty for farms, which experience a turnover of up to 40% of their harvesting labour every year. 

Vice President of Growth, Michelle Lim, said 4AG Robotics is helping to increase food security by enabling more scalable and sustainable agaricus mushroom production, eliminating reliance on human labour (which accounts for around 50% of production costs). 

Our solution is the first AI-driven robot commercially automating and revolutionising mushroom harvesting operations globally, starting with six of the largest farms in the world.” Vice President of Growth, 4AG, Michelle Lim. 

“The robot attaches to the farm’s existing Dutch Rack shelving so there’s no need for changes to farm infrastructure. 

“The robots’ ability to perform 24-hour graze harvesting allows for precise harvesting, leading to increased yields and revenue for farms. They can easily move between growing rooms for optimal efficiency.  

“We’d have the potential to expand down the road to other delicate crop harvesting applications or focus on automating the rest of the agaricus mushroom farm.” 

4AG Robotics are looking to make the most of their visit to evokeAG. 2025 and the connections it offers, as part of their plan to open an Australian office and get in touch with local partners such as contract manufacturers and investors. 

Being selected for the Agventure Downunder program will provide us with an immersive experience beyond the evokeAG. event.” Michelle Lim. 

We are so excited to connect with visionary farmers, investors, and industry leaders from Australia and around the world. We’re honored to be part of a cohort reimagining a more efficient, sustainable, and vibrant future for agriculture!” 

Meet LyteGro, VIA Biofuels, and 4AG Robotics, along with the rest of the Agventure Downunder cohort at evokeAG. 2025 on 18-19 February in Brisbane, Queensland.  

 

View the full two-day program, including speakers and partners making evokeAG. 2025 possible. 

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