Northland entrepreneurs with bright ideas are still in with a chance to apply for one of eight places on a new development programme for agritech businesses.
Business talent scouts have been scouring the region in search of a startup with the potential to be New Zealand's next global agritech superstar to sign up with Sprout, a national agritech business accelerator.
The chosen eight would receive $20,000 and be placed in a 20-week part-time and remotely delivered programme that would see them flown around the country for mentoring from world-class business and technical experts. The programme would end with an opportunity to pitch for investment to potential investors, business leaders and industry experts.
Sprout is supported and funded by a blend of public and private sector leaders in agritech and startup investment, including Callaghan Innovation, Massey University, Gallagher Group, Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). Sir Stephen Tindall's K1W1 fund, Enterprise Angels and Manawatu Investment Group also supported Sprout.
Sprout was designed by BCC, a Palmerston North-based business incubator which had helped establish four globally focused agritech startups, BioLumic, CalfSMART, CropX and Polybatics. The startup had raised more than $15 million in growth capital from New Zealand and overseas investors.
