SparkLabs Group, one of Asia’s largest tech acceleratory groups, has revealed its next cohort as part of the 2021 Cultiv8 program, as it focuses on shifting the dial in Australia’s food production landscape.
The SparkLabs Cultiv8 fund invests in early-stage companies from around the world, which have the potential to shift the dial in Australia’s agriculture and food production landscape.
There are 10 businesses set to receive almost $1 million in funding as part of the program, which kicked off this week and will showcase in October.
The teams involved are from around the world and all have an aim to increase knowledge of Australian producers, as well as expand into the region.
“It’s an incredibly exciting industry to be supporting right now,” said SparkLabs Cultiv8 partner Jonathon Quigley.
“We have been positively overwhelmed by the calibre of businesses presented for consideration to this year’s cohort.
“Applicants were spread far and wide across the globe and the level of sophistication of these early-stage Ag and Food-Tech startups, solving issues facing our food production systems was extraordinary.”
Australian businesses in the program include Future Feed – developed by CSIRO, Meat & Livestock Australia and James Cook University to fight climate change and produce more food with fewer resources – and Dr Glitter Health – a healthcare brand founded by Melbourne-based entrepreneur Jade Diep and China-based actress Augusta Xu-Holland, with the core product using prebiotic soluble fibre for a new category of supplements that appears as edible glitter.
Other businesses include Singapore-based Shandi, developing plant-based proteins, as well as Greener, an app that helps people “repair the planet” with every dollar spent by aiding consumers to find trusted green brands for everything they buy, and packaging compaby StenCo LLC, which is finding solutions to minimise the remnants of plastic in the ocean.
“This year’s cohort is one of the most diverse and exciting groups. We are looking forward to getting their solutions in the hands of Australian growers and consumers as they have enormous potential to shift the dial in agriculture and sustainability here and abroad,” said SparkLabs Cultiv8 program director Graham Bougen.
To date, 50 per cent of investments through SparkLabs Cultiv8 have been in Australian start-ups.
