Published on the 21/05/2026 | Written by Heather Wright
UK startups trial technologies, seek local partners…
Kiwi and Australian farms are about to become a proving ground for global agritech – again – with cohorts of UK agritech companies heading to both countries in the coming months, set on trailing their systems, finding new partners and scaling up.
Six companies, spanning AI livestock systems, digital twin carbon tracking, circular agriculture, sustainable horticulture and on-farm energy generation, will be heading to New Zealand next month. They’re looking to ‘road test their technologies in real-world conditions, find industry partners and explore pathways to market entry’.
“[This] is a signal that the international innovation community sees New Zealand as a co-creator of solutions the world needs.”
The companies are arriving under Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme, delivered in New Zealand in partnership with agritech accelerator and investor Sprout Agritech. It marks the first time the program has been run in New Zealand, with the six-month initiative designed to connect UK startups with local industry, investors and research institutions and – crucially – to validate their technologies in real-world conditions.
For local companies, research institutions and investors, Sprout says the program provides a ‘direct pipeline to innovation’ which could otherwise take significantly longer to reach local shores.
New Zealand’s role as an advanced agricultural environment is key in bringing the program to the country. The country’s food and fibre sector generates NZ$59.9 billion in annual export revenue, contributing around 10 percent of GDP and organisers point to its diverse farming systems, strong science base and globally connected agribusiness sector as key factors positioning the country as a place where technologies can be tested under real commercial conditions.
Sprout Agritech’s network, spanning corporates including Fonterra, Gallagher, LIC, T&G Global and Zespri – also provides direct access to potential pilot partners and customers.
Sprout Agritech CEO Sandhya Sriram says the program acts as a two-way opportunity.
“New Zealand is one of the most sophisticated agricultural markets in the world… Partnering with Innovate UK to bring their best agritech companies here is a signal that the international innovation community sees New Zealand as a co-creator of solutions the world needs.”
It’s also being framed as an opportunity for New Zelaand to shape global agritech solutions while accelerating its own transition toward sustainable, high-value food systems.
Among those heading to New Zealand are x10NI, which provides a digital twin and MRV platform measuring carbon and nutrient flows across livestock supply chains, and Galebreaker, which optimises controlled-environment livestock housing combining automated ventilation, sensing and AI optimisation
Australian scale up opportunity
While the Kiwi bound contingent are about to hit our shores, with the first of two visits scheduled for June to coincide with Fieldays – the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event – and the second in October, applications for the Australian cohort, which will consist of up to eight companies, are still open. They’re due in market in October, followed by a second in February 2027, with the ‘acceleration program’ run in conjunction with Australia’s Farmers2Founders and Agrifood Futures.
Like New Zealand, Australia has a diverse and sophisticated agriculture sector – it’s on track to hit $100 billion by 2030 – while its multiple climatic zones and counter-seasonality offer the diverse environments required for testing solutions, making it a ‘perfect’ launchpad for UK businesses to connect, collaborate and scale, Innovate UK says.
The initiative is all part of a bolshy plan by Innovate UK to ensure high-potential UK agritech businesses capture market share and become industry giants – something that can only be done through international growth and scale. Agritech, which is estimated to currently be worth between £13 billion and £28.5 billion depending on how the market is defined, is one of six priority frontier industries within the UK government’s Advance Manufacturing Sector Plan.
A key part of the Innovate push is access to the R&D and innovation with demonstration and adoption.
The Australian program is explicitly focused on helping UK companies expand and commercialise, providing structured support that includes mentoring, workshops, market insight and direct connections with industry and investors. Participants also receive funded in-market visits and ongoing support from ‘innovation specialists’, with the goal of turning early validation into commercial traction.
Program documentation says examples of technologies and solutions of interest include robotics, automation, AI and sensor tech, increasing farm productivity and optimising soil fertility and management.
