A WESTERN Australian farmer-founded agtech company is a finalist in a global food and agri startup pitch competition.
SWAN Systems, based in Perth, is a cloud-based precision irrigation and fertiliser platform that helps growers precisely schedule, monitor and optimise management of water, nutrients and crop health to improve economic and environmental outcomes.
The company was one of two Australian businesses that made it to the final 15 food and agriculture startups which will advance to present at the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 virtual competition.
FoodBytes! Pitch helps entrepreneurs scale their impact through mentorship and connections to corporate leaders and investors, who in turn gain access to a vetted pipeline of startups aligned with their innovation goals.
The Wednesday, December 2, virtual event will offer food and ag industry leaders exposure to startup technologies and products with potential to shape the future of food.
Rabobank head of food and agri innovation Anne Greven said the platform had expanded far beyond a pitch slam.
"In five short years, FoodBytes! has become one of the most valuable networks for startups which are pioneering sustainable ways to feed the planet, but we can't stop there if we want to drive change at a global scale," Ms Greven said.
"That's why we redesigned FoodBytes! Pitch this year to include some of the world's largest food and ag companies which want to work alongside startups to build a sustainable food system.
"We're connecting emerging and established leaders who want to solve real problems like climate change, plastic waste and food insecurity."
The 15 companies advancing to the final round have been selected from an original field of nearly 340 applications, based on their innovative solutions to major food system challenges.
SWAN Systems is a finalist in the agtech category, with others in the division for engineering products and technologies that improve soil health and reduce water usage, promote animal health without antibiotics and support farmers in digitising their supply chains.
The 15 finalists will participate in a one-day mentorship bootcamp, followed by the livestreamed public pitch competition.
The competition will culminate in the naming of three winners, with each winner receiving $10,000 to support their business growth, as well as consulting services from FoodBytes! Pitch member companies.
