TEKWOMEN Victoria, Farmers2Founders’ new pre-accelerator program is inviting female entrepreneurs with a technology idea or solution for agriculture to apply.
Farmers2Founders has an alumni of impressive female graduates, all doing incredible things in the agtech space, with innovative solutions from biosecurity management to automated harvesting and robotics, animal monitoring, health and nutrition and much more.
“As a female-founded company ourselves, seeing our female graduates taking significant strides in the field is truly rewarding,” Farmers2Founders Co-Founder and Director Skye Raward said.
Farmers2Founders was established in 2018 by mother-daughter duo Dr Christine Pitt and Skye Raward, who have been leading advocates for innovation in agtech, entrepreneurship and the advancement of women in tech and agricultural industries.
The launch of their female-specific venture creation pathway TekWomen Victoria represents a convergence of passions for the founders and the first of its kind in Australia.
Why women in start-ups?
Female-founded companies are 75% more likely to have 200%+ growth
Female-founded companies generate 78 cents per funding dollar - compared to 31 cents per dollar in their male-founded counterparts
Only 2.1% of VC funding in 2022 went to female-led startups
31% of the agtech workforce in Australia is female
18% of CEOs and 22% of board members in tech companies are women.
Farmers2Founders Hatch and Hone graduate and founder of garden, Reearthy, Samantha Wan, said her favourite takeaway from the program was the push to dig deeper to find out more from future consumers.
“Breaking down preconceived ideas and coming away with skills and resources that can be reapplied and retested was incredibly valuable,” Ms Wan said.
“The programs gave me a safe space to test new ground under fantastic guidance and working through new skills and tools.
“Being able to fully analyse viability and reaffirm plans while shaking up and rerouting others was invaluable.”
