The programme was launched by Farmers2Founders (F2F), its Singapore-based sister company, AgriFood Futures, and New Zealand partner Agnition Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Ravensdown.
Land x Launch has previously launched in Australia and Singapore, and this latest New Zealand programme is part of F2F’s mission to accelerate agricultural innovation across the Asia Pacific region.
The three-month market entry programme combines hands-on and remote support, providing participants with tailored market entry guidance, access to pilot farms across multiple agricultural sectors, and potential investment opportunities through Agnition Ventures.
Joshua Soo, co-founder and CEO AgriFood Futures told AgTechNavigator there is a need for agricultural innovation in New Zealand.
“There’s a lot of farmers [in New Zealand] that are hungry for new technology and innovation to improve farm efficiency. They may not be able to find it domestically and it’s also hard to find it overseas. I think there’s a need from the industry to find solutions outside of New Zealand.”
The initiative is primarily seeking technologies that align with New Zealand’s key sectors, including dairy, beef, sheep, horticulture, and arable farming.
These innovations must clearly benefit New Zealand’s farmers, said Soo. Additionally, it is seeking out companies that align with the priorities of its partner, Agnition Ventures.
“Since Agnition Ventures may potentially invest in these companies, we are focusing on solutions that align with their farm network and investment priorities,” Soo elaborated.
“This includes technologies relevant to sectors like dairy, beef, and sheep, but if there’s any specific verticals such as biologicals, organic soil inputs, soil optimisation, valorising agricultural byproducts into higher-value outputs, and automation. Those things would be of interest.”
From a start-up perspective, New Zealand’s is an effective test bed for its varied farming sector.
“You have dairy, horticulture, arable – all in one country. And you have innovative farmers that are ready to trial these solutions,” said Soo.
New Zealand has another crucial strategic advantage. “As New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere, counter seasonality makes it a very attractive market for growth because off season in the northern hemisphere is peak season in New Zealand. For an agtech venture, I can have year-round sales or accelerate my go-to market because I can trial even during off season.”
Connecting farmers and founders
The Land x Launch scheme integrates the F2F TEKFARM platform, which was designed to address the growing complexity of agtech adoption.
“TEKFARM is a key feature of this programme… There’s a lot of challenge with farmers and tech adoption. Even though there are a lot of good solutions out there, sometimes there’s a disconnect between the founders’ world and the farmers’ world,” said Soo.
The platform serves as a bridge between farmers and founders, Soo explained. It helps to uncover the on-farm realities, providing valuable insights for founders.
With the feedback, founders can adapt and refine their solutions to better align with farmers' needs before engaging directly with them.
Once the solution is more tailored and ready, founders can then collaborate with farmers, potentially moving forward with pilots or further development.
