evokeAG 2025 Startup Program

Submissions are now being accepted. Submissions close at midnight 20 October 2024 (AEDT).

IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

evokeAG 2025 Startup Program Overview

Welcome to the evokeAG 2025 Startup Program, an initiative designed to bring together the most innovative agrifood tech startups and scaleups from around the globe under the theme "Common Ground." This program offers multiple streams to help you showcase your solutions, connect with industry leaders, investors, and partners, and drive impactful change within the agrifood sector.

Streams to apply for:

  1. Startup Alley: A premier exhibition platform featuring 40 agrifood tech startups and scaleups. This stream provides a dynamic opportunity to present your innovations, engage with key industry stakeholders, and form valuable connections within the agrifood tech ecosystem.
  2. Culinary Capital Dinner: An exclusive event designed to foster in-depth discussions and connections between startups, investors, producers, and corporates. Ten participants will pitch their technologies in a unique dining setting, facilitating high-impact networking and collaboration.
  3. Agventure Downunder: A targeted program offering ten international startups a deep dive into the Australian market. This stream includes immersive tours, workshops, and business matching opportunities, helping participants gain insights into doing business in Australia and connecting them with local ecosystem players.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Open to agrifood tech startups and scaleups addressing global challenges in areas such as artificial intelligence, climate and sustainability, production, biosecurity, and more.
  • Must have a clear and scalable business model with demonstrated market demand and growth potential.
  • Open to both local and international companies, with specific spots reserved for international participants.
  • Emphasis on diversity, including female founders, Indigenous entrepreneurs, and startups from regional or remote areas.
  • Culinary Capital only: Companies should be actively seeking investment or partnerships. They should have a well-defined investment thesis, showcasing their funding requirements, valuation, and growth plans. Startups should be prepared to engage with potential investors and partners during the dinner and post-event.
  • Agventure Downunder only: The startup must not have a significant existing presence in Australia and should demonstrate a commitment to establishing and growing their business in the country, including collaborating with local stakeholders, having a preliminary market entry strategy, allocating necessary resources, fully participating in all aspects of the Mission Australia program, and financing any required co-contributions such as travel and additional activities.

Selection Criteria:

  1. Innovation and technology (20 points): Solutions must address key challenges in the agrifood sector, offering groundbreaking and impactful technologies.
  2. Value proposition (20 points): Demonstrate how your technology provides a clear solution to an identified problem, contributing to sustainability, efficiency, food safety, or other positive impacts in the sector.
  3. Stage of development (10 points): Applicants should be in the early to growth stages, with a minimum viable product (MVP) or proof of concept, and a clear plan for commercialisation or scaling.
  4. Market potential (20 points): Show evidence of strong market potential, understanding of your target market, and scalability, particularly within Australia, New Zealand, and the APAC region.
  5. Demonstrable impact (20 points): Highlight how your innovation creates significant value for stakeholders across the agrifood sector, including farmers, producers, and consumers.
  6. Diversity (10 points): Startups will be assessed on their commitment to diversity, including the inclusion of underrepresented groups such as female founders, Indigenous entrepreneurs, and those integrating culturally significant practices.

Each criterion will be evaluated independently, and the points awarded for each will be summed to calculate the applicant's total score. Final selection will be determined through a competitive, merit-based process.

Culinary Capital applicants will also be evaluated on their investment readiness (50 points). 

Agventure Downunder applicants will also be evaluated on their preparedness to enter the Australian market (50 points), including:

  1. Expansion readiness: Clear USP for Australia, go-to-market strategy with budget and Board or C-Suite support for export market development.
  2. Operational capability: Dedicated resources for market expansion, sales team for export markets and understanding of the Australian market entry requirements.
  3. Financial capability: Sufficient cash flow or balance sheet for market entry, and ability to finance the program co-contribution.

    For any questions or help with your application, please contact Dallas Pearce at dallas.pearce@agrifutures.com.au.

Apply now to be a part of evokeAG 2025 and help shape the future of the agrifood sector!

Click here to view the terms & conditions > https://www.evokeag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/evokeAG-2025-Startup-Program-Terms-_-Conditions.pdf

Instructions for Completing Your Application

To help you complete your application for the evokeAG 2025 Startup Program, please follow these steps:

  1. Answer the questions: Ensure that your responses directly address the questions asked. Be clear and concise in your answers.

  2. Save your progress: Save the form as you go. You can return to it at any time to continue your application.

  3. Review your application: Before submitting, review your responses to make sure all required fields are completed and your answers are accurate.

  4. Upload required documents: Make sure all necessary files, such as your pitch deck or company logo, are ready and uploaded correctly. Allow enough time for each file to upload before attaching the next one.

  5. Submission confirmation: After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive this email, please check your spam/junk folder or contact us to confirm receipt.

If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

NAVIGATING (MOVING THROUGH) THE APPLICATION FORM

On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want.

You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.

SAVING YOUR DRAFT APPLICATION

If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save and close' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off.

You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download PDF' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.

Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top or bottom of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed and there are no validation errors.

Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.

When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.

Hint: also check the email hasn't landed in your spam or junk email folder.

ATTACHMENTS AND SUPPORT DOCUMENTS

You may need to upload/submit attachments to support your application. This is very simple, but requires you to have the documents saved on your computer, or on a storage device.

You need to allow enough time for each file to upload before trying to attach another file. Files can be up to 25MB each; however, we do recommend trying to keep files to a maximum of 5MB – the larger the file, the longer the upload time.

COMPLETING AN APPLICATION IN A GROUP/TEAM

A number of people can work on an application using the same log in details as long as only one person is working at a time. Ensure you save as you go.

SPELL CHECK

Most internet browsers (including Firefox v2.0 and above; Safari; and Google Chrome) have spell checking facilities built in – you can switch this function on or off by adjusting your browser settings.