The Australia New Zealand Agritech Council launches to drive growth and investment across the trans-Tasman.
AUCKLAND: 12 September 2019: ANZLF, which brings together business and government leaders to help Australia and New Zealand prosper, today hosted the launch of the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council at its Innovation Sector Group workshop in Auckland.
The creation of the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council will help promote and scale the region’s agritech business network by building strategic partnerships with the private and public sector, providing insights to attract global investment and by establishing a formal presence in targeted offshore markets, which in the first year will include the US (San Francisco) and Singapore.
In the first six months, the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council will be focussed on establishing itself for long-term bilateral success, including appointing Co-Chairs to lead the work, selecting and inviting members, and developing progressive medium and long-term goals.
The Council launch has been warmly welcomed by key members of the global agritech-focused venture capital community as a major boost for the region’s rapidly growing agritech ecosystem.
Richard O’Gorman, Director at Dutch-based Rabo Food & Agri Innovation Fund said: “Building scale and providing increased investment opportunity for offshore investors is essential if Australia and New Zealand’s agritech sector is going to grow its global footprint. By increasing the visibility of investable deal flow, the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council is setting a new standard for the trans-Tasman region”.
Michael Dean, Founding Partner of global online agritech investment platform AgFunder, is emphatic: "To be competitive internationally, it is vital that Australia and New Zealand join forces and present themselves as a regional agrifood technology powerhouse. With their combined expertise, ingenuity and diverse production systems, they have an incredible opportunity to develop, fund and export game-changing technology to the world”.
San Diego-based Kirk Haney, CEO & Managing Partner, Radicle Growth, also strongly supports the establishment of the Agritech Council. “Radicle Growth finds and funds innovative ag and food tech companies worldwide, ensuring that powerful, disruptive technologies reach their full potential. The Australia New Zealand Agritech Council provides a vital channel to connect Australian and New Zealand agritech with capital around the world and educates global investors on exciting early stage agritech companies emerging from this significant agritech hub. It is a tremendous resource for the agritech industry - both entrepreneurs and investors”.
The Australia New Zealand Agritech Council team represent some of the key agritech ecosystem players across the trans-Tasman region. Their collective drive is to work together to promote & scale the region’s agritech sector in the global market.
You can learn more about the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council and its vision at www.anzagritech.org
For further information, please contact:
Peter Wren-Hilton, (NZ) +64 21791120 peter@wharf42.co.nz
Sarah Nolet, (AUS) +61 401705697 svnolet@agthentic.com
About ANZLF
The ANZLF (Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum) was established in 2004 to bring senior and government leaders together to discuss key opportunities and challenges, and to further strengthen the relationship built on history, geography, values, mateship and many common interests. The ANZLF is now known amongst business and government leaders as a key contributor to building a stronger trans-Tasman relationship.