TECHNOLOGY

GRDC partnership launches Agtech program pathway

GRAINS Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has partnered with Farmers2Founders (F2F) to launch a pathway of programs designed to accelerate the development of agtech concepts that solve challenges for the grains industry.

Staff Writer
 GRDC has partnered with Farmers2Founders to deliver a pathway of programs designed to accelerate grains-focused Agtech concepts. Picture Ben White.

GRDC has partnered with Farmers2Founders to deliver a pathway of programs designed to accelerate grains-focused Agtech concepts. Picture Ben White.

The TEKLAB Grains program pathway supports farmers, students, tech developers and aspiring entrepreneurs in learning the fundamentals of starting, launching and scaling agtech solutions focused on increasing grain growers' yield, efficiency, and profitability on farm.

F2F co-founder and executive director, Skye Raward, said the program pathway will de-risk the development of ideas and give the start-ups the tools and resources needed to start and save time and money in the process.

"We also have a later stage grains-focused program ‘Harvest', for high potential agtech businesses looking to scale and fast track their operations into national and international markets," Raward said.

GRDC business development manager, Tim Spencer, said the program gives GRDC an opportunity to see and support ideas and opportunities from early stages through to nearing market entry, which are some of the most challenging periods for a start-up.

"The TEKLAB Grains program is part of a series of GRDC investments aimed to support novel and innovative technology and business concepts, particularly those arising directly from non-traditional sources such as innovative growers, and entrepreneurs," Spencer said.

The first three programs are designed for early stage agtech start-ups. These include a self-paced online course designed to help start-ups explore and refine their grains-focused concept, a six-week program where the ideas are validated with real customers to determine problem-solution fit and a 10-week program for building and launching a minimum viable product to test product-market fit and establish a viable business model.

The final four-month program is designed for high-potential agtech businesses and aims to equip them with the capabilities needed to scale into national and international markets.  

Applications for TEKLAB Grains 2024 programs are now open, and free thanks to the GRDC funding. Find out more at the F2F website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

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