Afleveringen
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What if the future of food isn't about convincing people to care more about sustainability, but rather focusing on what can improve taste?
In this episode, Tenaciousâ Dr. Maddie Mitchell speaks with food futurist and innovation strategist Mike Lee about the forces shaping the future of food, agriculture, and consumer behavior.
Mike has spent his career helping some of the world's largest food companies think differently about innovation. He's also the author of Mise: On the Future of Food, a speculative magazine from the future that explores what food systems could look like over the coming decades.
Together, Maddie and Mike unpack why consumers consistently say they care about sustainability but continue to buy based on taste, convenience, and price. They explore the growing interest in soil health and why one of the biggest opportunities for agtech may be proving the connection between healthy soils, flavor, and nutrient density.
They discuss:
Why taste still beats sustainability at the checkout The emerging connection between soil health, flavor, and nutrition. What agtech startups can learn from systems thinking The links between personalized nutrition and crop diversity Whoâs driving more change: big food companies or startupsUseful Links:
Will consumers and companies ever pay for nutrition and soil health? A New Blueprint for Big Food - by Mike Lee Eating to Extinction GLP-1s are reshaping the food system â are midstream companies ready? Companies mentioned: Chobani, Alpha Food Labs, Bionutrient Food Association, EdaciousFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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With the surname âKentish,â Nic carries his familyâs potato growing legacy. While it's one of pride, the journey has certainly not been easy. After returning to the family farm in South Australia, he found himself confronting one of the biggest challenges many farming families face: how to build a profitable, sustainable business in an increasingly volatile industry.
In this episode, Nic Kentish unpacks his lessons learned from decades in farming, including a difficult transition into organic potato production that ultimately left the business carrying significant debt. Nic speaks candidly about the financial and emotional pressure that comes with succession, the realities of running high-risk agricultural enterprises, and why understanding your gross margins matters just as much as understanding your soils.
Now an educator with RCSâs Grazing for Profit program, Nic explains why he believes agriculture must be viewed as a connected system: where soil health, profitability, relationships, livestock management, and technology are all intertwined. The conversation explores regenerative agriculture, biological farming, and why Nic prefers to focus less on labels and more on outcomes.
Sarah and Nic discuss:
Why âgreat technologyâ still has to solve real on-farm problems The lessons Nic learned from transitioning to organic farming Gross margins, debt, and the hidden pressures of succession Why soil health and profitability are deeply connected The role of observation and intuition alongside agtech Why family relationships are often the biggest risk, or strength, in farming businesses How farmers can build resilience in increasingly variable conditionsUseful Links:
The Warble Podcast | RCS Change Agent: The maverick agronomist who changed grazing methods - ABC News Optiweigh Low Stress Stock Handling - Farmsafe Arden Andersen - Soil Learning Center Halterâs $2 billion question, with founder Craig Piggott Regen Ag Series Australian Rural Leadership FoundationFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
[12:00:00] Sustainable farming has to be profitable. [00:23:00] Regen ag is about outcomes not labels. [00:37:00] Good tech supports farmer intuition -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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What if one of agricultureâs most controversial âwaste problemsâ is actually its most overlooked opportunity?
Daniel Carson is an entrepreneur based in New Zealand, who wants to transform the beef industry from the ground up by directly addressing the challenge of what happens to non-replacement dairy calves.
Through his startup, Miti, Daniel is building a new model that grows these calves into âyoung beefâ and turns them into value-added protein products. But the product itself is only part of the story. Itâs also a demonstration of a new production and supply chain system thatâs designed to better align with global demand for lean protein and lower emissions.
Daniel explains how this system leverages existing biological advantages from fast-growing dairy animals, built-in traceability, and shorter production cycles, to create a lower-emissions protein source. But despite strong fundamentals at the farm level, scaling the model runs into a familiar agtech barrier: the cost of infrastructure.
Processing systems, supply chains, and industry incentives are all designed around large, premium carcasses. Therefore, to truly unlock the value potential Daniel believes in, some well-established systems would need to be challenged.
Daniel and Sarah discuss:
Why âwaste streamsâ like bobby calves represent a major untapped protein opportunity How the cost of infrastructure, like processing systems, constrains innovation in agriculture Why lean protein, not premium cuts, is the most constrained global beef category How emissions, traceability, and data could reshape value in red meat supply chains The challenge of driving system change when incumbents are incentivized to maintain the status quoUseful Links:
MÄ«ti Turns Dairy Challenge into Award Winning Innovation - Gardiner Foundation Miti founder 'blown away' by winning innovation award Supplying sustainable beef to McDonalds - Tenacious Ventures Tackling enteric emissions series - Tenacious Ventures đĄ3 reasons why dairy is the new beef - by Janette BarnardFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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Monsanto is one of the most influential and controversial companies in the history of global agriculture. But beyond the headlines, what can its evolution teach us about how value is created and captured in ag?
As agriculture enters a new era shaped by technological advances, climate pressures, and macroeconomic uncertainty, understanding where power sits in the system and how it shifts has never been more important. Monsantoâs story offers insight into how control points are built, defended, and transformed over time.
In this episode, Sarah Nolet is joined by Tenacious Ventures co-founder Matthew Pryor and the creator of Upstream Ag Insights, Shane Thomas, to break down the business model evolution of Monsanto.
Together, they trace Monsantoâs journey from a chemical manufacturing company built on waste stream transformation, through the rise of glyphosate and innovation in crop protection, to its defining move into seeds and traits.
They dig into how Monsanto layered in strategies around licensing, branding, regulation, and distribution to build one of the most powerful positions in modern agriculture.
This episode is our second Business Model Breakdown, where we explore how agricultural systems, companies, and structures actually work and what that means for the future of agtech. This format is an experiment and weâd love your feedback!
Sarah, Matthew, and Shane discuss:
How Monsanto evolved from industrial chemicals to seeds and traits Why control points like germplasm and genetic IP became central to value capture How regulatory strategy and âknowledge environmentsâ shaped Monsantoâs success. The role of patents, licensing, and branding in scaling adoption What Monsantoâs story suggests about future control points in agtech, including data and AI.Got a business model youâd like for us to break down in a future episode? Let us know!
Useful Links:
Breaking Barriers in Crop Innovation Bayer Rounds Up Monsanto Monsanto wins Pioneer appeal of patent dispute | Reuters Mapping Power in the Seed Value Chain: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why Corteva at Wolfe Research Conference: Strategic Growth and Challenges Silent Spring Lords of the Harvest: Biotech, Big Money, and the Future of FoodFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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Some of the most transformative innovation in agri-food is happening downstream of the farm, in the materials, products, and industries that agriculture ultimately feeds into.
In this episode, Sarah Nolet speaks with Tina Funder, founder of Alt Leather, an Australian startup developing fully bio-based alternatives to traditional leather.
Tinaâs journey into agtech didnât begin in a lab or on a farm, but in advertising, where she developed a deep understanding of customers, branding, and problem solving. Concerned that most alternative leathers were more plastic than plant, Tina has built a company which sits across multiple industries, from agriculture, biotechnology, manufacturing and fashion.
But this complexity comes with its challenges. Is Alt Leather a materials company? A biotech platform? Or a manufacturing business? And how does that complexity impact their ability to build a team, raise capital, and commercialize?
Sarah and Tina also discuss:
Why some of the biggest agtech opportunities sit in materials and manufacturing. The challenge of building fully bio-based materials in a plastic-dominated industry. Evolving your value proposition to focus on what matters to your customers. The realities of scaling a deep tech company, including capital, manufacturing, and commercial partnerships. Why sustainability must be paired with price and performance to winThe conversation also reframes one of the most widely misunderstood aspects of leather. While much of the narrative focuses on livestock emissions, Tina highlights that the majority of environmental impact comes from the tanning process (including water use, chemicals, and pollution.)
Useful Links:
Building a Ladder to Commercial Success for Deep Tech Founder Durable and Degradable: Our Compostable Bio-Based Leather Alternative SproutX: the Victorian seed fund accelerating agriculture - Forbes Australia Curing fashionâs reliance on leather with an eco-friendly plant-based alternative - CSIRO Innovera Alt-Leather in Mercedes-Benz Concept - DVN Life on Mars Goods Samsara Eco YUIMA NAKAZATO Couture GLACIER Penfolds Premium Gift with Purchase | Upstairs Yellow.For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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While agtech often celebrates breakthrough technologies that can slash costs for farmers, what if the real value of innovation lies somewhere else entirely?
In this episode, Mark Trzaskoma joins Dr Madeline Mitchell to explore what agtech adoption actually looks like on the ground at Battunga Orchards, a 180-hectare orchard operating across three sites in Victoria.
From mechanised harvest platforms to canopy redesign and data collection tools, each decision at Battunga is guided by a âtest, measure, learnâ approach, focused on yield, quality, and long-term performance rather than short-term efficiency gains.
Mark also shares a cautionary insight: optimizing for cost can actually reduce productivity. His experience of hitting cost targets in pruning, only to see production decline, highlights a broader challenge in agriculture: efficiency is not the same as effectiveness.
Mark and Maddie discuss:
Why agtech often delivers value through better outcomes, not lower costs. Why cost-cutting can undermine productivity in biological systems. The realities of working with early-stage, evolving agtech products. Labor constraints and their role in driving automation in horticulture. Bridging the growing disconnect between producers and consumersUseful Links:
Battunga Orchards from the air, Warragul, Victoria, Australia Future OrchardsÂź | Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) Food Traceability QR Codes Investment Notes: Agovor How small growers think about agtech - Tenacious Ventures Getting agtech ready - Tenacious VenturesFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
[00:7:20] Agtech drives better outcomes, not just lower costs. [00:10:30] Cost-cutting can reduce yield. [00:26:30] Why growers and consumers are disconnected. -
Co-operatives have a long and sometimes colored history in agriculture, across the Western world. What role will they play in the future of agriculture?
As agriculture becomes increasingly shaped by digital technologies and artificial intelligence, the question of who owns, governs, and benefits from farm data is still unresolved. Could co-ops be the answer?
In this episode, Sarah Nolet is joined by Tenacious Ventures co-founder Matthew Pryor and the creator of Upstream Ag Insights, Shane Thomas, to explore the history of co-operatives as a means for farmers to pool resources and address market power imbalances. They also unpack the business model behind co-ops and analyze whether the principles of co-ops could also be applied to digital infrastructure.
This episode is the first in a series of business model âbreakdownâ episodes weâll be producing this year, where weâll dig into how agriculture systems, structures, and even specific companies work, why they matter today, and the impact of agtech in their evolution.
This format is an experiment and weâd love your feedback!
Sarah, Matthew, and Shane discuss:
Why agricultural cooperatives emerged and how they address power imbalances in agricultural markets. How the cooperative model could extend from physical infrastructure to digital infrastructure and farm data governance. Whether co-ops could serve as trusted intermediaries for training AI models using aggregated farm data. How governance tensions between different types of farmers might play out in a data-driven future. How consolidation of cooperatives and changing farm structures could shape the future of technology adoption.Got a business model youâd like for us to break down in a future episode? Let us know!
Useful Links:
The 3 Fears of Farm Data (and bonus episode w/ audience responses) Coming to terms with farm data usage Farm data fears - more harm than good? Rebooting AgTech Software with AI, with Rhishi Pethe Companies mentioned: Regen Farmers Mutual; CBH Group; The Rochdale Pioneers | ICA; The UFA Agricultural Community Foundation - Our Purpose; CHS Inc.; History | WinFieldÂź United Australian Grains Champion withdraws CBH proposal OpenWeedLocator (OWL): an open-source, low-cost device for fallow weed detection | Scientific ReportsFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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In less than a year, NZ-based virtual fencing company Halter raised $165 million and then $220 million more, reaching a $2 billion valuation at a time when global agtech funding is down more than 70% from its peak. By any measure, that's a remarkable achievement.
But what does it actually mean?
In this episode, Halter founder and CEO Craig Piggott speaks with our producer and dairy owner Kirsten Diprose about building the company from the ground up, from training cows on his parents' farm in the Waikato to shipping a million solar-powered collars across three countries.
Craig and Kirsten discuss:
What virtual fencing is and why pasture-based farmers are adopting it The technical and behavioural challenges of building reliable hardware for animals Halterâs evolution from a tech-first experiment into a farmer-first platform What scaling from New Zealand into Australia and the US actually looks likeThe conversation was recorded at the Australian Dairy Conference just before Halterâs Series E announcement. Host Sarah Nolet shares her own perspectives at the end, including the questions she wished she'd been able to ask Craig directly.
Useful Links:
Halter raises $220M in Series E less than a year after raising $165M Series D Kiwi AI farming start-up worth $2.9b as Peter Thiel invests Halter says itâs not an agtech company on the heels of $220m Series E The Innovation Sweet Spot: Aligning Corporates, Startups and Investors, with Brad Fruth and Frank WootenFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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Seven years ago, agtech in Australia was still in its infancy. There were bold predictions, a flurry of startups, and an emerging ecosystem of programs and investors to back them. So how have things panned out?
In this live stage recording at the 2026 AgriFutures evokeAG event in Melbourne, Sarah Nolet is joined by Sam Duncan, founder of GXLab (formerly FarmLab and Ziltek) and Natalie Engel, a QLD-based cattle producer. Together, they reflect on the last seven years of the Aussie agtech ecosystem: the hype cycles, the pivots, and the very human realities behind building technology in agriculture.
Back in 2019 at the first evokeAG event, both Sam and Natalie pitched two very different ideas. Sam was an outsider to agriculture with a vision to use soil data and soil carbon to tackle climate change. While as a farmer, Natalie was reverse-pitching a problem: the frustrating reality of livestock traceability paperwork and the need for better digital tools.
Seven years later, neither could have predicted where their agtech journeys would end up.
Sarah, Sam, and Natalie discuss:
What the agtech ecosystem looked like in 2019 and how expectations around soil carbon, digitization, and traceability have evolved. Why building agtech startups often requires navigating both the realities of farming and the pressures of venture-backed growth. The emotional toll of entrepreneurship in agriculture. Why the next decade of agtech may be driven less by hype and more by resilience, cost pressures, and geopolitical shifts affecting agriculture.Useful Links:
Agricultureâs technology future: How connectivity can yield new growth | McKinsey FarmLabâs journey to GXLab: From Startup Alley to global soil solutions - evokeAG. Seven Years On, evokeAG. Returns to Melbourne to Chart Agtechâs Next Frontier Beyond the funding winter: Australia's agtech opportunity - evokeAG. Meet Natalie Engel - Cattle farmer and agtech enthusiast | Mobble Companies mentioned: Ceres Tag, Halter, Agovor, AgriProve, Mobble, OptiWeigh, AgFrontierFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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While agrifood innovation often celebrates bold founders and breakthrough technologies, what happens when the incentives of corporates, startups and investors donât quite align?
In this live recording from evokeAG in Melbourne, Sarah Nolet is joined by Brad Fruth, Director of Innovation at Beck's Hybrids, and Frank Wooten, CEO of ArkeaBio and co-founder of Vence (acquired by Merck Animal Health).
Together, they explore the âsweet spotâ of agtech innovation, i.e. the balance between what customers and corporations want, while recognizing the constraints that innovators and investors face.
Brad shares how Beckâs Hybrids, the largest family-owned retail seed company in the US, approaches innovation: rather than having a corporate venture arm, they focus on being internal problem-solvers and trusted matchmakers between startups.
Meanwhile, Frank Wooten speaks candidly about the realities of raising venture capital in agriculture; where billion-dollar exits are rare, timelines are long, and alignment with customers matters more than valuation headlines.
Sarah, Brad, and Frank discuss:
Why âfree pilotsâ can devalue agtech products before theyâve proven themselves. How corporations can support innovation without becoming distracted by it. The risks founders face when fundraising incentives distort execution priorities. The surprising advantages of Australian agriculture, from customer density to experimentation culture.Useful Links:
Expanding the tools in the innovation toolkit: how agri-food corporates can engage with startups Building a Ladder to Commercial Success for Deep Tech Founders Disrupting the AgTech Ecosystem with Ron Adner 4 Tips for How Agri Corporates Can Innovate By Working With StartupsFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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While farmer distrust of AI remains a key adoption barrier, will farm businesses that are being set up for an AI future have a competitive advantage?
Paul Windemuller is a pioneering first-generation farmer and Nuffield Scholar from Coopersville, Michigan (USA). Along with his wife Brittany,
Paul built his farm from the ground up with limited capital, relying on ingenuity, automation, and data-driven decision-making to grow Dream Winds Dairy into a highly tech-enabled operation.
In this episode, Paul shares his unconventional journey into dairy farming from digging parlor pits by hand and retrofitting sheds on a shoestring budget, to becoming an early adopter of robotics, wearable sensors, and AI-enabled tools. Paul didnât grow up on a farm, so technology became a way to compensate for what he calls a lack of âcow sense,â helping him make faster decisions around health, breeding, and herd performance.
As AI accelerates, Paul argues that adoption is less about buying another gadget and more about building the underlying foundations: connectivity, clean data, and a culture of curiosity within farming teams.
Sarah and Paul discuss:
How a lack of traditional farming experience became a catalyst for data-driven innovation.Why AI should be viewed as a utility, like electricity, rather than a single technology purchase.The practical steps farmers can take today to become âAI ready.â Why governance models that keep value with farmers and rural communities could determine whether AI delivers long-term benefits.Why farmer-owned data infrastructure and interoperability may be the next big innovation in agriculture.Useful Links:
Leading the Herd: AI, Insight, and the Next Agricultural Revolution, (Paulâs Nuffield report)Getting Into the weeds: the AI data dilemmaArtificial Intelligence and the Future of Work in AgricultureYield maps killed agtech software, can AI fix it? (report)For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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While there is a growing recognition of the importance of indigenous knowledge in agriculture, all too-often, First Nations people are being asked to fit in with an established model. What if we flipped the script to create food systems that are led by indigenous principles?
Thatâs what Jacob Birch is aiming to do in reawakening a native grains industry in Australia. Heâs a proud Gamilaraay man, scholar, Churchill Fellow, and entrepreneur who founded Yaamarra & Yarral, a wholesaler of ancient grains and retailer of stone milled flour.
In this episode, Jacob shares his journey into native grains, beginning with biodiversity and landscape restoration, and expanding into food, culture, and economic sovereignty. He explains why native grasses are keystone species for Australiaâs ecosystems, how Indigenous Australians managed grain systems for tens of thousands of years, and why these histories, including bread-making, are still largely absent from mainstream narratives.
In his Churchill Fellowship, Jacob draws on lessons from First Nations communities in North America, exploring what Indigenous-led food systems can look like when the goal is not export-driven scale, but healthy communities, country, and self-determined economic development.
Sarah and Jacob discuss:
The nutritional value of native grains and their role in climate resilience and food sovereignty.Why postâfarm gate ownership is crucial for First Nations people.How subsidies could potentially support indigenous-led enterprises in food and agriculture.The realities of building a native grains industry; from land access to challenges in processing.Useful Links:
Jacob Birch, Churchill Fellowship reportGrasslands Documentary Jacob Birch researcher profileModernising Indigenous Native Grains Processing | AgriFutures AustraliaWhite Earth NationFond du Lac Band of Lake Superior ChippewaNative Farm Bill CoalitionTribal Elder Food Box - Feeding America Eastern WisconsinFirst Nations Australians in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - DAFF2030 Roadmap - National Farmers' FederationFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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Weâve hit a tipping point for autonomy in agriculture, so how far off is fully autonomous farming? In this episode, Matthew Pryor sits down with Brett McMickell, Chief Technology Officer at Kubota North America, to unpack his view on what autonomy can deliver in agriculture and why itâs closer than many people think.
Brettâs career spans spacecraft control systems and multi-vehicle autonomy. Today at Kubota, heâs helping guide autonomy strategy inside one of the worldâs largest and oldest agricultural equipment manufacturers. Brettâs focus is about ensuring the technology solves on the ground problems for farmers and is driven by customer demand, rather than by the tech itself.
Matthew and Brett discuss:
What supervised autonomy will look like in 1 - 3 years.Why smart implements and sensing are just as important as autonomous power systems.Why AI in agriculture is still under-appreciated.What autonomy will look like in 10 years (without human intervention).How autonomy could completely change farm layouts, machine sizes, and operating metrics.How Kubota decides whether to build, partner with, or acquire new technology.Useful Links:
Kubota USA InnovationKubota acquires Bloomfield Robotics, so what?Kubota to acquire automation company AgJunction - Future FarmingKubota Concept Tractor | Innovation | Kubota Global SiteKubota launches first autonomous hydrogen-fuelled tractor - Farmers WeeklyHow can agtech startups and corporates do more together?Seeing into the future of farm autonomy (w/ SwarmFarm Robotics)Have we hit a tipping point for autonomy in ag?For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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Today's episode is a tangible example of a company in the "natural capital" space. While not traditional agtech, the Hydrowood journey hits familiar themes: building a business within nature's constraints, managing capital intensity, and the frustrating search for the right investors.
Andrew Morgan watched the Pieman River in Tasmania dam in the 1970s. In 1986, Lake Pieman flooded, submerging centuries-old forests. Many years later, he and co-founder David Wise spotted trees protruding from the dark water- large quantities of native species like Huon Pine, Tasmanian Myrtle, and Sassafras.
The timber was salvageable, but they needed underwater logging technology that wouldn't disturb the lake's ecosystem. This led to the founding of Hydrowood. Today, the business has attracted millions in investment and high-end brand partnerships, but the journey has been far from easy.
In this episode, guest host Adam Taylor, Insights Lead at Tenacious, and Andrew Morgan discuss:
Why the Hydrowood narrative captivates investors and mediaTrading off custom versus standard machinery to lower financial riskPivoting to crowdfunding when traditional investment proved difficultThe future of sustainable and ethical forestryAndrew is also the Managing Director of SFM, an asset manager for large-scale plantation estates and carbon project developer.
Useful Links:
The economics of valuing natural capital, with Ken HenryHydrowood featured in first global flagship store by R.M WilliamsAustralian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme | Clean Energy RegulatorOnMarket crowd-sourced fundingForest Economics Congress, MONAFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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Over the past few years, the conversation about autonomy in agtech has moved from âbut, does it work?â to âhow can I get started?â This is a significant shift, indicative of autonomous machinery becoming a fully commercial category in agriculture.
In this episode, Matthew Pryor, Founding Partner at Tenacious Ventures, discusses his recent observations at the Gatton Agtech Showcase, in QLD, Australia, highlighting the move towards production-ready autonomous machinery. He discusses how structure is now emerging in the Australian agtech autonomy market, including in sales and distribution, with a mix of companies from established equipment dealers to venture backed scale-ups. He predicts growth in this market to only compound in the coming years.
Matthew and Sarah are joined by Shane Thomas, founder of Upstream Ag Insights, to also dive into recent agtech news and market trends.
They discuss:
The role of traditional dealership networks in an autonomous futureThe potential misuse of the term âautonomousâRegional variations in market dynamics around autonomy between Australia, the US, and CanadaThe forces reshaping crop protection, including the rise of non-chemical solutions such as laser weeding and electric weed controlUseful Links:
Carbon Robotics raises $20m to build âanother AI robotâ?, AgFunder News Monarch Tractor sued over tractors that were 'unable to operate autonomously', TechCrunchIs Farmersâ Traditional Loyalty to Ag Equipment Colors Fading?, Farm EquipmentThe Four Forces reshaping the crop protection industry and what comes next, Upstream Ag InsightsThe Generics Revolution and the New Economic Geography of the Global Pesticide Industry, Journal of Agrarian ChangeThe Race to Define the Future of Ag Retail with Shane Thomas of Upstream Ag Insights, Agtech So What?Getting into the Weeds: AI, Computer Vision, and the Future of Non-Chemical Weeding, Agtech So What?Investment Notes: Azaneo, Tenacious VenturesDisrupting the AgTech Ecosystem with Ron Adner, Agtech So What?Vavilovian Mimicry, BionityFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
[0007:25] The role of dealerships in an autonomous future[00:17:45] The forces reshaping crop protection[00:25:20] Weeds adapting to non-chemical crop solutions -
In the race to decarbonize agriculture, the spotlight often falls on carbon sequestration, genetics, and alternative proteins. But have we overlooked something thatâs right in front of us? Electricity.
Mike Casey is a self-described âtech bro turned farmerâ from Cromwell, New Zealand. Mike runs whatâs believed to be the worldâs first fully electric farm, made up of 21 electric machines, from irrigation systems and frost-fighting fans, to electric tractors and forklifts. His business is aptly named Electric Cherries, where power is generated from renewable sources on-farm. Mike says this has enabled him to save tens of thousands on energy costs every year, while also developing a business model for farming thatâs both profitable and low-carbon.
Sarah and Mike discuss:
How an old diesel pump kicked off Mikeâs electrification crusadeThe economics of going electric on a farm (and is it only possible in New Zealand or on a cherry farm?)What electric machinery changes (and doesnât) about running a farm business Why farmers stand to benefit from the shift away from centralized, fossil fuel power generation to decentralized renewable energyMike is also the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a movement helping Kiwis switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. His mission is simple: make electric technology an economic no-brainer for every farmer and household.
Useful Links:
On-Farm Electrification isn't an equipment change, it's a systems change, Agtech So⊠What?Electric Cherries, Evoke Ag presentation by Mike CaseyElectric Farms Report, Rewiring AotearoaThe future of (decentralized) fertilizer, with Jupiter Ionics (Tenacious portfolio company)For more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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What happens when an agtech startup with market pull, a clear mission, and global momentum still doesnât make it?
Nikki Davey is the founder of Grown Not Flown, which helped thousands of local flower growers reach customers who wanted sustainable blooms. Nikkiâs app directly addressed the problem of âflower milesâ. In Australia and the US, a store bought bouquet is likely to be made up of flowers that have been flown long distances, from places such as South America, Asia, or Africa.
Nikki won the National AgriFutures Rural Women's Award in 2023 for Grown Not Flown, which helped to further establish the business. But, as the Grown Not Flown app was taken up across multiple countries, the challenge of scaling became harder for the startup and ultimately it was wound up.
In this candid, episode Sarah and Nikki discuss:
· Misconceptions about the hardest part of founding an agtech startup.
· The realities of small founding teams, finding investors, and scaling with limited resources.
· The emotional toll of what happens when your identity is tied to your startup.
· Why the end of a business does not mean the end of the mission
Useful Resources:
Victorian rural tech entrepreneur Nikki Davey named the 2023 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award National WinnerAre agtech startups just digital agribusinesses? Mark Kahn, Omnivore, Agtech So What?Sustainable Floristry NetworkFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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âBundlingâ is a well-known business strategy, especially in tech, where itâs not only used to increase sales and move slow-selling products, but also to tie customers into an ecosystem (such as Apple or Microsoft).
So what about all the unbundling thatâs been happening in agtech recently? While historically weâve seen seed companies offer bundled options, such as seeds, crop management, and data products, there is now a trend towards âunbundlingâ in agriculture. This is exemplified by Cortevaâs recent decision to unbundle its seed and crop protection divisions into two publicly traded companies. Similarly, Farmers Business Network(FBN) has also spun off its global crop solutions business from its digital marketplace.
In this episode, Sarah Nolet unpacks the bundling/unbundling dilemma in agtech with Shane Thomas, founder of Upstream Ag Insights and Matthew Pryor, Founding Partner at Tenacious Ventures. They discuss:
The strategic impacts of unbundling for companies such as FBN and Corteva, as well as the broader impacts on farmers and markets.The market dynamics that encourage companies to bundle or unbundle.How Large Language Models (LLMs) are being used in agtech, including Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and other AI frameworks.Shane Thomasâ new AskUpstream AI tool.Recent acquisitions in agtech, such as the Growers Edge acquisition of FarmTestUseful Links:
What Cortevaâs Seed and Chemical Split Could Mean For Your Farm, Successful Farming Growers Edge Acquires FarmTest, Growers EdgeFarmers Business Network the latest to spin off company, following Corteva, Kraft Heinz, AgFunderNewsDTN acquires Grain Discovery, DTNAlphaEarth, Google DeepMindKraft Heinz to split a decade after merger in a bid to revive growth, The GuardianFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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The biggest issue facing the cotton industry isn't fast fashion or water consumption. It's that the people growing cotton have been rendered invisible. The industry fixates on fiber quality and commodity pricing while the farmers themselvesâ and their role in determining sustainability outcomesâ get lost.
Marzia Lanfranchi, founder of the global community Cotton Diaries, is a strategic consultant working to improve supply chain sustainability in the cotton industry. She argues that cotton is viewed first and foremost as âa cheap fiber,â instead of a commodity that is grown in the field.
She has seen that when cotton is treated purely as "a cheap fiber" rather than an agricultural product shaped by farming practices, the entire system suffers, including the sustainability frameworks fashion brands are trying to build.
In this episode, we discuss why putting farmers at the center changes everything.
Sarah and Marzia discuss:
What fashion brands miss or overlook about regenerative agricultureWhy cotton is often perceived as a âwater thirsty cropâ (and why that is not always the case)How stories are useful âtoolsâ to help people visualize solutions to problemsHow traceability can be built into supply chains to help fashion brands improve sustainabilityUseful Links:
Cotton Diaries âManifestoâVejaLandfill to Farmfill: rethinking cotton waste (podcast)Promises of premiums wonât cut it to scale sustainable agrifood supply chainsFor more information and resources, visit our website.
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
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As the worldâs largest agricultural economy, when China makes a move, the world pays attention. China has just unveiled an ambitious plan to accelerate its development of ag machinery by shortening its research and development cycles. So will China dominate the future of agricultural machinery, and what does this mean for dealers, farmers, and agtech companies?
Lachlan Monsbourgh, Global Rural Agricultural and Environmental Lead at Rabobank, joins us to discuss Chinaâs pivotal role in global agriculture. This includes Chinaâs rapidly developing ag machinery industry, which can manufacture tractors and equipment for about half the cost of the other major players in the US, Europe and Japan. While the products currently face quality, durability and serviceability challenges, Lachlan argues it is only a matter of time before these are overcome.
Lachlan and Sarah discuss:
The price point difference between Chinese agricultural manufacturers and other big OEMsThe impact of cheaper tractors on agtech adoption and autonomyHow China is moving to ensure sustainable supply chains from countries such as Brazil.Global biodiversity targets and the role of autonomous robotics in helping to achieve them.Useful Links:
How China is reshaping Global Food Systems for the Climate Change Era, World Economic ForumTarget to accelerate agriculture machinery development, AgTechNavigatorKunming Montreal Biodiversity frameworkThe Three Categories of Autonomy in Agriculture, SwarmFarm RoboticsFor more information and resources, visit our website.
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