AgTech Start-ups

Stu Bradbury, Tom Rivett and Julian McCurd

Sprout is a start-up accelerator programme delivered by The BCC, Building Clever Companies in Palmerston North. The programme is designed to inspire, inform and support the next generation of Ag Tech start-ups.

Every year Sprout selects eight Ag Tech start-ups. Over 20 weeks the start-ups and entrepreneurs receive funding, alongside world class mentoring and training from leaders in technology, research and business growth.

Companies receive unparalleled access to the New Zealand and global farming network to validate and grow their businesses. At the end of the programme start-ups will have an opportunity to pitch to a hand-picked group of investors, corporate partners and potential customers to support the continuation of the rapid progress achieved through the Sprout programme.

Dunedin entrepreneurs Andrew Humphries and Tom Rivett created AgriTrack to help large scale crop farmers with the multitude of logistical challenges during harvest time, particularly those associated with vehicle management. Their solution enables live tracking of vehicles and is already being used in more than 30 farms in Western Australia.

Mangere Bridge duo Julian McCurdy and Peter Bennett set up Beez Thingz using technology to develop a platform for hive management so a network of kept bees could be accessed by everyone in the industry.