Sprout Agritech

17/09/2026

Farm data can be complex. Meet the venture translating agricultural processes into actionable insights.

x10AI is a UK agritech company developing advanced digital twin technology for livestock farming, using AI and machine learning to model nutrient flows, carbon cycles, and environmental performance. The platform supports regulatory compliance and carbon accounting, enabling farmers, policymakers, and investors to make data-driven decisions that improve sustainability and unlock environmental market opportunities.

Co-founder and Director Thomas Cromie joined Sprout in New Zealand earlier this year through the Innovate UK 2026 New Zealand Global Incubator Programme. He will return in October for the second in-market immersion trip, this time focusing on progressing potential partnership opportunities in the South and North Island.

While he’s here, Thomas is keen to connect with livestock processors, retailers, government agencies, farm and catchment partners, and investors interested in pilot projects, supply chain integration and scalable environmental measurement.

Know someone Thomas should meet? Get in touch with the Sprout team.

16/09/2026

🚨Sprout Portfolio Opportunity alert!

Forever Harvest is a Christchurch-based biotechnology company growing new fruit and nut ingredients without the tree (using plant cell culture).

They're looking for an experienced scientist to develop and optimise plant cell lines and help turn scientific ideas into practical outcomes.

Check out the opportunity below, or share with someone who would be a great fit. 🍊

Experienced plant scientist to develop and optimise plant cell lines in our Christchurch laboratory.

16/09/2026

ruru is building a system that helps determine how much shelf life fresh goods have and recommends logistics accordingly.

Meet Paul Shale, co-founder and CEO, and Dr Abishek Sriramulu, co-founder and CTO of ruru, one of the 22 ventures participating in the Sprout Accelerator Spring26 Cohort.

We caught up with Paul and Abishek for a quick-fire five questions in five minutes to learn more about ruru and what they hope to achieve from their time in the Sprout Accelerator.

https://bit.ly/4xwrY9b

13/09/2026

Meet Jade Luxton, Founder of Sterineedle, one of the 22 ventures participating in the Sprout Accelerator Spring26 Cohort.

We caught up with Jade for a quick-fire 'five questions in five minutes' to learn more about Sterineedle and what she hopes to achieve from her time in the Sprout Accelerator.

Read the full interview over on our blog 👉https://www.sproutagritech.com/blog/post/170038/founder-five-in-5-jade-luxton-sterineedle/

11/09/2026

Single-use growing mediums are expensive and produce a lot of waste.

Meet GyroPlant, a UK agritech company developing reusable plant support technology for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), helping to reduce waste and input costs across CEA systems.

Director and Lead Engineer Marcus Comaschi joined Sprout Agritech in New Zealand earlier this year through the Innovate UK 2026 New Zealand Global Incubator Programme. Returning in October for the second in-market immersion trip, Marcus will spend the time focusing on visits and opportunities with Sprout partners in both the North and South Islands.

Marcus is keen to connect with CEA growers, irrigation and sensing technology companies, research partners, STEM partners and space agriculture organisations interested in crop trials, technology integration and future system development.

Get in touch with the Sprout team if you know someone who Marcus should meet.

08/09/2026

What if we could increase the iron content in plants?

That’s the focus of HiFe Plants, a UK-based company developing high-iron crop varieties and plant-based ingredients to help address iron deficiency through food and nutrition. Their plants also contain additional zinc, with potential applications for addressing facial eczema when used as animal feed.

Director Jacob Pullin joined Sprout Agritech in New Zealand earlier this year through the Innovate UK 2026 New Zealand Global Incubator Programme. Jacob is returning in October for the second in-market immersion trip, this time focusing on visits and opportunities with Sprout partners in both the North and South Islands.

While he’s in New Zealand, Jacob is keen to meet with supplement and ingredient manufacturers, salad growers, and connections within the plant breeding sector. Jacob is also interested in hearing farmers' perspectives about how they manage zinc supplementation on their farms for cows and sheep. He is keen to arrange trials of their HiFe pea material and discuss the potential for new high-iron crop varieties.

Know someone Jacob should meet? Get in touch with the Sprout team.

06/09/2026

An exciting new chapter is taking shape at Sprout Agritech. We are doubling down and raising Sprout Fund II.

Sprout Fund II will bring together smart, connected capital, deep company-building capability, and access to networks, customers and markets across New Zealand, Asia-Pacific and globally. We will back exceptional founders developing breakthrough solutions across biotechnology, AI, data, and frontier technologies, helping them turn science-led innovation into companies with global scale and impact.

Anchored in New Zealand and building on Sprout’s decade-long track record, we are actively fundraising and speaking with investors, family offices, corporates and strategic partners who share our long-term conviction in innovation and its potential to generate strong returns and meaningful impact.

If you are interested in learning more about Sprout Fund II, exploring investment or co-investment opportunities, or connecting us with aligned partners, please let us know.

Sandhya Sriram will be in Singapore at the end of October, followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai, India, during the first week of November. If you are interested in learning more about Sprout Fund II, she would love to meet.

Let’s build the next generation of global companies from New Zealand. Sprout Fund II is seeking long-term partners who share our vision of not only investing in breakthrough bioeconomy companies, but also building a sustainable venture platform that will create and scale the next generation of innovators

06/09/2026

Did you know that there are 148 ventures that make up the Sprout Accelerator Alumni, with 22 more exciting new ventures in the current Sprout Accelerator Spring26 Cohort?

We are so proud of the milestones that they tick off along the way! Here are some of the latest:

🏆A huge congratulations to Siobhan Graham, Kode Veterinary Science, who was selected to take the stage at the Startup World Cup NZ Final.

🌏Amazing achievement Mick Riley and Forever Harvest, winning first runner up in the IFT first pitch competition.

🌊Exciting news from Ocean Intelligence, which closed its pre-seed investment round, led by Quidnet Ventures, with AIP investors Andrea and Guido Neitzer.

🪲Celebrating Scentian Bio being named a finalist in the PwC New Zealand Breakthrough Project Award at the KiwiNet Awards 2026

🌟It is a tightly contested award! Good luck to Mick Riley and Sam Wojcik, both finalists in the KCA - Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia Ltd Rising Star Award at the KiwiNet Awards 2026.

05/09/2026

That's a wrap on Underground One 👏

Check out this stunning group! We've had 22 ventures from our Spring26 Cohort descend on Palmerston North over the last two days for the first in-person event of the Sprout Accelerator.

Our underground events are an interactive opportunity for our cohort to meet in person and dive deep into the foundations needed to grow their ventures. Through mentor speed rounds, interactive sessions, and inspirational speakers, all while working alongside our wide range of amazing mentors and industry experts.

It's fast-paced and dynamic, and there will probably be just as many questions as answers as the teams leave today!

We're now looking forward to catching up again in Christchurch in a few weeks.

03/09/2026

This room!!

The Sprout Accelerator Underground One is underway for the Spring26 Cohort. 🥳