Cleantech accelerator launched in regional centre

A cleantech start-up accelerator has launched in the NSW Central West city Orange.

The GATE accelerator is supported by SparkLabs-sponsored Cultiv8, a venture capital and accelerator firm that has been promoting investment in agri-tech start-ups since 2017. Cultiv8 has now backed 50 Australian companies addressing either climate change or food security.

Cultiv8 partner Malcolm Nutt said this extension of the firm’s mandate made sense as cleantech also addresses the challenges of climate change and often has links to food security.

The first cohort of ten businesses are mainly from NSW. They are:

AusBioEnergy: a closed loop manufacturing system to produce competitively priced, scalable and sustainable biomethanol.

Blue Carbon S2C: focused on developing and financing blue, teal and green carbon projects that help to restore large-scale natural ecosystems.

Carbonaught: working on delivering organic fertiliser derived from enhanced rock weathering to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and promote sustainable agriculture.

Clean Eyre Global: developing land-based asparagopsis seaweed production which will accelerate the commercialisation of ruminant animal feed supplements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

DownForce Technology: develolper of a novel platform for precise and efficient calculation of natural capital and ecosystem services which will empower farmers and other land stewards.

ExoFlare: developer of a platform for the food and agricultural industries to evaluate and manage biosecurity hazards in real-time while adhering to reporting standards.

 NanoSoils: using silica nanoparticles to directly administer agrochemicals to plants, reducing pesticide residues in the environment.

Packamama: reinventing the wine bottle to make the product more climate-friendly by achieving savings in space, weight and production and transport energy − bottles that slash carbon emissions in the supply chain.

Ten Carbon Chemistry: developer of unique antimicrobials that are currently in trials on fresh produce to extend shelf life; on packaging to improve safety and reduce emissions as well as in other industrial, agricultural and hygiene industry applications.

Wollemi:  developer of a platform that automates scenario analysis and climate vulnerability assessment, enabling seamless integration of climate risk into decision-making. The technology quantifies and reports climate risks for land-based and agricultural assets, from asset to portfolio level.

Cultiv8 Funds Management, is an agri-food venture capital fund which was founded by Nutt and Jonathon Quigley in partnership with financial services business Challenger Group (ASX: CGF).

The new accelerator builds on the success of the SparkLabs Cultiv8 accelerator program and is supported by the federal Department of Primary Industries, Meat and Livestock Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Research and Development Association, Agriculture Innovation Australia, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, grower-owned research organisation Hort Innovation and Science and Technology Australia.

Quigley said the first cohort zeroed in on areas such as biodiversity, resource efficiency and renewable energy so all had the potential to contribute to developing a more sustainable planet. Industry expertise would be provided to help the companies commercialise their technologies.

SparkLabs Group is an international network of start-up accelerators and venture capital funds that has invested in more than 350 start-ups since 2013.

Image: Orange, NSW.