Agtech - So What?

We’ve hit a tipping point for autonomy in agriculture, so how far off is fully autonomous farming? In this episode, Matthew Pryor sits down with Brett McMickell, Chief Technology Officer at Kubota North America, to unpack his view on what autonomy can deliver in agriculture and why it’s closer than many people think.
Brett’s career spans spacecraft control systems and multi-vehicle autonomy. Today at Kubota, he’s helping guide autonomy strategy inside one of the world’s largest and oldest agricultural equipment manufacturers. Brett’s focus is about ensuring the technology solves on the ground problems for farmers and is driven by customer demand, rather than by the tech itself.
Matthew and Brett discuss:
What supervised autonomy will look like in 1 - 3 years.
Why smart implements and sensing are just as important as autonomous power systems.
Why AI in agriculture is still under-appreciated.
What autonomy will look like in 10 years (without human intervention).
How autonomy could completely change farm layouts, machine sizes, and operating metrics.
How Kubota decides whether to build, partner with, or acquire new technology.
Useful Links:
Kubota USA Innovation
Kubota acquires Bloomfield Robotics, so what?
Kubota to acquire automation company AgJunction - Future Farming
Kubota Concept Tractor | Innovation | Kubota Global Site
Kubota launches first autonomous hydrogen-fuelled tractor - Farmers Weekly
How can agtech startups and corporates do more together?
Seeing into the future of farm autonomy (w/ SwarmFarm Robotics)
Have we hit a tipping point for autonomy in ag?
For more information and resources, visit our website. 
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.

Today's episode is a tangible example of a company in the "natural capital" space. While not traditional agtech, the Hydrowood journey hits familiar themes: building a business within nature's constraints, managing capital intensity, and the frustrating search for the right investors.
Andrew Morgan watched the Pieman River in Tasmania dam in the 1970s. In 1986, Lake Pieman flooded, submerging centuries-old forests. Many years later, he and co-founder David Wise spotted trees protruding from the dark water- large quantities of native species like Huon Pine, Tasmanian Myrtle, and Sassafras.
The timber was salvageable, but they needed underwater logging technology that wouldn't disturb the lake's ecosystem. This led to the founding of Hydrowood. Today, the business has attracted millions in investment and high-end brand partnerships, but the journey has been far from easy.
In this episode, guest host Adam Taylor, Insights Lead at Tenacious, and Andrew Morgan discuss:
Why the Hydrowood narrative captivates investors and media
Trading off custom versus standard machinery to lower financial risk
Pivoting to crowdfunding when traditional investment proved difficult
The future of sustainable and ethical forestry
Andrew is also the Managing Director of SFM, an asset manager for large-scale plantation estates and carbon project developer.
Useful Links:
The economics of valuing natural capital, with Ken Henry
Hydrowood featured in first global flagship store by R.M Williams
Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme | Clean Energy Regulator
OnMarket crowd-sourced funding
Forest Economics Congress, MONA
For more information and resources, visit our website. 
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.

Over the past few years, the conversation about autonomy in agtech has moved from “but, does it work?” to “how can I get started?” This is a significant shift, indicative of autonomous machinery becoming a fully commercial category in agriculture.
In this episode, Matthew Pryor, Founding Partner at Tenacious Ventures, discusses his recent observations at the Gatton Agtech Showcase, in QLD, Australia, highlighting the move towards production-ready autonomous machinery. He discusses how structure is now emerging in the Australian agtech autonomy market, including in sales and distribution, with a mix of companies from established equipment dealers to venture backed scale-ups. He predicts growth in this market to only compound in the coming years.
Matthew and Sarah are joined by Shane Thomas, founder of Upstream Ag Insights, to also dive into recent agtech news and market trends.
They discuss:
The role of traditional dealership networks in an autonomous future
The potential misuse of the term ‘autonomous’
Regional variations in market dynamics around autonomy between Australia, the US, and Canada
The forces reshaping crop protection, including the rise of non-chemical solutions such as laser weeding and electric weed control
Useful Links:
Carbon Robotics raises $20m to build ‘another AI robot’?, AgFunder News 
Monarch Tractor sued over tractors that were 'unable to operate autonomously', TechCrunch
Is Farmers’ Traditional Loyalty to Ag Equipment Colors Fading?, Farm Equipment
The Four Forces reshaping the crop protection industry and what comes next, Upstream Ag Insights
The Generics Revolution and the New Economic Geography of the Global Pesticide Industry, Journal of Agrarian Change
The Race to Define the Future of Ag Retail with Shane Thomas of Upstream Ag Insights, Agtech So What?
Getting into the Weeds: AI, Computer Vision, and the Future of Non-Chemical Weeding, Agtech So What?
Investment Notes: Azaneo, Tenacious Ventures
Disrupting the AgTech Ecosystem with Ron Adner, Agtech So What?
Vavilovian Mimicry, Bionity
For more information and resources, visit our website. 
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.
[0007:25] The role of dealerships in an autonomous future
[00:17:45] The forces reshaping crop protection
[00:25:20] Weeds adapting to non-chemical crop solutions

In the race to decarbonize agriculture, the spotlight often falls on carbon sequestration, genetics, and alternative proteins. But have we overlooked something that’s right in front of us? Electricity.
Mike Casey is a self-described “tech bro turned farmer” from Cromwell, New Zealand. Mike runs what’s believed to be the world’s first fully electric farm, made up of 21 electric machines, from irrigation systems and frost-fighting fans, to electric tractors and forklifts. His business is aptly named Electric Cherries, where power is generated from renewable sources on-farm. Mike says this has enabled him to save tens of thousands on energy costs every year, while also developing a business model for farming that’s both profitable and low-carbon.
Sarah and Mike discuss:
How an old diesel pump kicked off Mike’s electrification crusade
The economics of going electric on a farm (and is it only possible in New Zealand or on a cherry farm?)
What electric machinery changes (and doesn’t) about running a farm business 
Why farmers stand to benefit from the shift away from centralized, fossil fuel power generation to decentralized renewable energy
Mike is also the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a movement helping Kiwis switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. His mission is simple: make electric technology an economic no-brainer for every farmer and household.
Useful Links:
On-Farm Electrification isn't an equipment change, it's a systems change, Agtech So… What?
Electric Cherries,  Evoke Ag presentation by Mike Casey
Electric Farms Report, Rewiring Aotearoa
The future of (decentralized) fertilizer, with Jupiter Ionics (Tenacious portfolio company)
For more information and resources, visit our website. 
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.

What happens when an agtech startup with market pull, a clear mission, and global momentum still doesn’t make it?
Nikki Davey is the founder of Grown Not Flown, which helped thousands of local flower growers reach customers who wanted sustainable blooms. Nikki’s app directly addressed the problem of ‘flower miles’. In Australia and the US, a store bought bouquet is likely to be made up of flowers that have been flown long distances, from places such as South America, Asia, or Africa.
Nikki won the National AgriFutures Rural Women's Award in 2023 for Grown Not Flown, which helped to further establish the business. But, as the Grown Not Flown app was taken up across multiple countries, the challenge of scaling became harder for the startup and ultimately it was wound up. 
In this candid, episode Sarah and Nikki discuss:
·  Misconceptions about the hardest part of founding an agtech startup.
·  The realities of small founding teams,  finding investors, and scaling with limited resources.
·  The emotional toll of what happens when your identity is tied to your startup.
·  Why the end of a business does not mean the end of the mission
Useful Resources:
Victorian rural tech entrepreneur Nikki Davey named the 2023 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award National Winner
Are agtech startups just digital agribusinesses? Mark Kahn, Omnivore, Agtech So What?
Sustainable Floristry Network
For more information and resources, visit our website. 
The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.