The new accelerator will bring the number of companies supported by SparkLabs Cultiv8 to 50. More than $AUD half a billion has been raised by the companies, which boast a combined value of more than $1.6 billion and have created over 750 new jobs.

SparkLabs Cultiv8, Australia’s most active Agri-Food Tech accelerator, has thrown its weight behind cleantech, funding and supporting ten startups through its new SparkLabs Cultiv8 CleanTech Accelerator.

Created in 2017 in partnership with Asia’s largest accelerator, SparkLabs Group, SparkLabs Cultiv8 has become a leader in addressing climate change through innovation. Partner and Agri-Food Tech veteran Malcolm Nutt said the addition of cleantech to the portfolio made sense as Australia faces the mounting pressures of climate change.

“Australia should be globally recognised as a leader in this space - the Australian Agri-Food Tech scene has an exceptional track record of innovation and there is more happening all the time,”

- he said.

“Agriculture is essential to any conversation around climate change, we are excited to contribute through innovation and collaboration with the leading research houses in Australia.”

The GATE, located at the Orange Agricultural Institute, where SparkLabs Cultiv8 launched in 2017, will be home base for the startups, which are predominantly from NSW, for the next six months. They include:

• AusBioEnergy is a closed loop manufacturing system to produce competitively priced, scalable and sustainable biomethanol.
• Blue Carbon S2C is focused on developing and financing blue, teal and green carbon projects that help to restore large-scale nature-based ecosystems.
• Carbonaught is delivering organic fertiliser derived from enhanced rock weathering to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and promote sustainable agriculture.
• Clean Eyre Global is a land based Asparagopsis seaweed production business committed to accelerating the commercialisation of ruminant animal feed supplements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• DownForce Technology provides a novel platform for precise and efficient calculation of natural capital and ecosystem services, empowering farmers and land stewards.
• ExoFlare has developed a platform for the food and agricultural industries to evaluate and manage biosecurity hazards in real-time while adhering to reporting standards.
• NanoSoils uses silica nanoparticles to directly administer agrochemicals to plants, reducing pesticide residues in the environment.
• Packamama has reinvented the wine bottle to make it more climate-friendly. Savings in space, weight and energy mean better bottles that slash carbon emissions in the supply chain.
• Ten Carbon Chemistry has developed unique antimicrobials that are in trials on fresh produce to extend shelf life; on packaging to improve safety and reduce emissions as well as other industrial, agricultural and hygiene industry applications.
• Wollemi has developed a platform that automates scenario analysis and climate vulnerability assessment, enabling seamless integration of climate risk into decision-making. Their technology quantifies and reports climate risks for land-based and agricultural assets, from asset to portfolio level.

The accelerator is powered by Cultiv8 Funds Management, an Agri-Food Venture Capital Fund founded by Malcolm Nutt and Jonathon Quigley in partnership with Challenger Group. The new accelerator builds on the successful SparkLabs Cultiv8 Accelerator program and is enhanced by the support of the Department of Primary Industries, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Cotton Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Agriculture Innovation Australia (AIA), Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), Hort Innovation and Science and Technology Australia (STA).

“Our globally recognised program is an opportunity to highlight the innovation occurring within NSW and broader Australia, and provides industry expertise to support the companies on their commercialisation journey,”

- said Jonathon Quigley, Partner of SparkLabs Cultiv8.

“This year’s participants zero in on areas such as biodiversity, resource efficiency and renewable energy, and we are excited to partner with these businesses that will contribute to a more sustainable planet.”