For Dr Hima Haridevan, agrifood innovation doesn’t begin with a startup idea or a pitch deck. It begins in the lab, with materials, systems, and a fundamental question that many researchers quietly wrestle with: how does this work beyond controlled conditions? Based at the University of Queensland, Hima is a translational materials scientist specialising in making bio-based materials more accessible and cost-effective for sustainable living. As co-founder of EcoSprout, she is

How Farmers2Founders helped Irish agtech company MagrowTec navigate the path from global technology leader to locally grounded Australian business, and why the opportunity for grain growers is only just beginning. A Global Problem That Lands on Every Farm Every time a spray boom rolls across a paddock, a significant portion of the chemicals applied never reach their target – drift carries them off-site, run-off washes them away. Conventional spraying technology, largely uncha

How a daughter's determination to honour her father's life work is reshaping the way inputs reach Australian grain crops — and why the industry is paying close attention. There is a particular kind of founder story that begins not in a co-working space or a university incubator, but at a kitchen table, listening to a parent talk about a problem they had spent a career trying to solve. For Caecilia Potter, CEO and Commercial Founder of VensoGrow, the origin of BreezeCoat™ is i

For many grain growers, nitrogen strategy remains one of the most significant cost and risk decisions made each season. Input price volatility, seasonal variability and long-term soil performance all influence productivity and margin outcomes across broadacre systems. Mr PlantMac was founded by Iain Macpherson with a clear objective: support sustainable agriculture through innovative plant growth stimulants designed to reduce reliance on traditional chemical fertilisers such

Building a Biological Backbone for Fall Armyworm Control For Dr Ian Newton, innovation didn’t begin with a startup idea or a commercial ambition. It began in the paddock, standing alongside growers in Far North Queensland as a new pest tore through crops and existing tools failed to keep up. With more than 25 years’ experience in applied entomology, Ian is deeply embedded in Australia’s grains research system. As a Principal Entomologist, his career has focused on insect path

“Word travels fast out here.” It’s a saying that still rings true across Australia, and nowhere is it more obvious than when a good piece of technology lands on a property. Once deployments began rolling out, it wasn’t long before neighbours were leaning on the rails asking, “So, how’s it working for you?” Background Across regional Australia, peer networks play a powerful role in shaping decisions about new technologies and practices. When the Farmers2Founders led TEKFARM p

Founder Sam Rogers is Building GrazeMate From Paddock Problems To Global Demand When Sam Rogers talks about autonomous drones mustering cattle, it doesn’t sound abstract or futuristic. It sounds like a kid from a North Queensland cattle station who grew up watching his dad leave before sunrise and return after dark, and decided there had to be a better way.    Sam’s family manages around 6,000 head of cow–calf cattle in the Bowen region. As a child, Sam saw firsthand how much

A wrap-up of our latest TEKWOMEN Lunch & Learn A Conversation Grounded in Place There is a distinct energy that comes from bringing founders, farmers and advisors into one shared space. Our November Lunch & Learn unfolded as an honest, generous conversation about what AgTech looks like today, where it’s working, and what will matter most as we build for the future. Very quickly, one theme rose to the surface: technology only succeeds when it respects place . You cannot design

Growing Business the Sustainable Way Jess Uhlig’s story begins far from the paddocks she now walks. Her career started in tourism and hospitality; welcoming travellers to the tropics of Port Douglas, working in bustling restaurants, and earning a Bachelor of Tourism Management while promoting reef operators and local experiences.  But after two years travelling around Australia - living simply out of a caravan, counting every drop of water and watt of power Jess returned hom

A TEKWOMEN Agri-Rise Conversation with Sara Gibson, Founder of Kelpy Bone Sara Gibson’s journey into sustainable innovation didn’t begin with a business plan - it began outdoors. Growing up on the coast and on her family’s farm, she was shaped by nature, curiosity, and role models who taught her that nothing is impossible if you're willing to work for it  . Long before Kelpy Bone existed, Sara was drawn to environmental systems, fieldwork, and the kind of hands-on problem-sol