Red meat analysis and verification platform MEQ Solutions has raised US$15 million (A$23m) in a Series A from New York software VC Insight Partners. The agtech startup began life in Adelaide in 2016, with its first product, MEQ Probe, going on to raise $500,000 in late 2018 for industry trials. MEQ has built the world’s… Read more »
Victorian agtech startup Drone-Hand has raised $720,000 in a pre-Seed round for its autonomous livestock management platform. The raise was led by US VC Radius Capital, supported by three local agribusiness investors Gippsland-based Edward Barraclough founded Drone-Hand in 2023, having grown up in NSW on a mixed livestock property. The idea was inspired by an… Read more »
Queensland agtech startup Nbryo has raised $10 million for its livestock genetics platform. The agri-biotech is developing a bovine IVF platform to deliver scalable, high-quality outcomes for cattle producers globally. The round was co-led by existing investor Tenacious Ventures, and Kiwi government-backed new believer AgriZeroNZ, with the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), founding investor the Murdoch… Read more »
Queensland agtech startup SwarmFarm Robotics has secured $30 million in Series B funding to ramp up production of its autonomous SwarmBots and expand into North America. The round was led by European agtech investor Edaphon, with participation from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), QIC and Artesian Capital. The CEFC contributed $7 million through its… Read more »
Two startups from LaunchVic’s recent CivVic Labs accelerator program have banked $35,000 each to develop their ideas further. The program saw WoolGrow Australia and CForge each receive $35,000 to help bring their circular agriculture solutions to market. The decision follows a pitch featuring all 10 startups, which each one receiving $15,000 in equity-free funding, in… Read more »
The recent Productivity Roundtable in Canberra focused on how to increase productivity and resilience with technology, but one niche sector was overlooked, as it often is: agtech. Yet agriculture is where some of the most urgent innovation is taking place, particularly in adapting to climate change, increasing yields and productivity. Beanstalk’s Drought Venture Studio, backed… Read more »
Farm communications startup Zetifi has landed a $5 million from the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program for a $10 million plan to commercialise its smart antenna platform globally. The regional NSW startup extends the range of data connectivity and communications on remote properties by transforming antennas from passive components into devices using RF (radio frequency)… Read more »
Applications for the 2026 Groundbreakers program, run by the annual evokeAG agritech gathering, close this Sunday, August 3. The program is a launchpad for emerging talent from Australia and New Zealand for young agrifood leaders and innovators. It’s looking for people committed to delivering positive impact across the agrifood sector, from producing to processing and… Read more »
Nominations for the 3rd annual Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards have been extended for another 48 hours to midnight on Sunday, July 6. There are 14 categories in the 2025 Best in Tech awards including startup investor of the year, best technical leader, the AI gamechanger, best startup event, and the GSD Award –… Read more »
Founders Factory, the global startup accelerator and early-stage investor, has opened applications for their next WA Nature Tech Accelerator. The WA accelerator is a unique opportunity for founders in the nature tech space. It offers both capital support along with a four-month program. It’s been designed for founders developing and advancing new biodiversity and the… Read more »
Nominations for the 3rd annual Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards are now open. The 2025 Best in Tech awards are once again feature AWS Startups as the major sponsor, with Vanta as supporting partner. This year there are 14 awards, including the always-popular Most Innovative Startup, as well as Startup of the Year. Several… Read more »
A New Zealand agtech scaleup Halter has hit unicorn status with a A$1.55 billion (US$1bn) valuation following a $155 million in a Series D. The round was led by US investor Mary Meeker’s Bond, with support from NewView Capital, and existing investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC, Blackbird, NZ’s Icehouse Ventures, and Promus Ventures. Bond’s investment… Read more »
When I was an agtech founder, I made the mistake of thinking distribution was everything. I’d rack up thousands of miles driving from region to region, just to get our product in one more ag retail outlet. Each new dealer felt like a victory—proof that we were building something real, something that would make it… Read more »
Main Sequence-backed Levur, a biotech startup looking to create a palm oil alternative from yeast using fermentation, has won $100,000 consulting advice from the KPMG Nature Positive Prize. The Sydney startup, founded Tom Collier and Joanne Barber, was part of the SparkLabs Cultiv8 program last year, and was among five Australian startups selected from among… Read more »
Startup builder Beanstalk Ventures recently harvested the first crop of agtech startups from its latest program, the Drought Venture Studio, a 12-week program backed by the federal government’s Future Drought Fund. Eight startups and their leaders were selected for the recent Innovation Showcase, whittled down from 24 chosen for the inaugural program from among 200… Read more »
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