Celebrating Innovation: 8 Drought Resilience Lab Innovators Secure $50K Grants!
We’re thrilled to announce that eight standout ventures from the Drought Resilience Lab have been selected to receive $50,000 grants from Agriculture Victoria and LaunchVic, helping them supercharge their drought-focused technologies.
As we hit our stride with Cohort 3, we’re proud of the growing community of innovators who are driving impact for farmers and building climate resilience from the ground up.
The Drought Venture Studio is a venture building initiative delivered in partnership with the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund that exists to back early-stage agtech innovation and convert it into real, on-farm value. After receiving dedicated pitch training and feedback, we bring together government, industry, and investors for our Top 8 Innovator Showcase. Five of these innovators were in the Top 8 of the Drought Venture Studio’s first two cohorts, and three are from our latest cohort.
Here’s a look at who they are and what they’re building:
🌱 VensoGrow | Cohort 1 | Venture in Residence
Caecilia Potter, CEO and founder of VensoGrow, is leading the charge in drought-smart seed treatment. VensoGrow’s all-in-one coating solution helps crops thrive in dry conditions by enhancing resilience from the ground up—literally. Their innovation offers scalable impact for grain growers facing more frequent dry spells.
🚁 Drone-Hand | Cohort 1 | Top 8
Edward Barraclough, founder of Drone-Hand, is deploying drone tech to improve livestock monitoring and welfare. With a focus on productivity and security during drought, Drone-Hand helps farmers manage animals with greater ease and efficiency—saving time, resources, and stress.
📊 AIgorithm | Cohort 1 | Top 8
Lachlan Vogt, founder of AIgorithm, brings over a decade of AI expertise to the paddock. His platform uses 45 years of soil and vegetation data to help farmers predict and manage drought impacts with precision. It’s a scalable tool that enables smarter water management in a changing climate.
💧 AquaTerra | Cohort 2 | Top 8
Dr. Guillermo Narsilio, co-founder of AquaTerra, has developed a deep-soil moisture sensing technology that can detect water up to 2 metres below the surface—using only a 10 cm installation. The result? Easier setup, lower costs, and more accurate data for irrigation decisions during dry periods.
🐑 SwabTec | Cohort 2 | Venture in Residence
Sarah Preston, founder of SwabTec, is tackling a $600M livestock problem with a non-invasive test for internal parasites in sheep. By replacing the traditional rectal test with a saliva-based detection method, Swabtec’s innovation helps farmers better manage livestock health during drought, when water scarcity increases infection risk.
🧠 AirAgri | Cohort 3 | Current Cohort
James Diamond, CEO and co-founder of AirAgri, is working on the frontline of farmer safety and mental health. His team has developed a voice analysis and IoT system that monitors stress and fatigue—even in offline settings—supporting early intervention for farmers facing the pressures of prolonged drought.
💦 Adept Aqua | Cohort 3 | Current Cohort
Allen Haroutonian, founder of Adept Aqua, is building modular water treatment units that improve on-farm water quality while maintaining social license to access waterways. Bonus: the system can generate useful gases that may enhance crop yields. It's a clever, sustainable solution for water-stressed farms.
🌾 Alterratech | Cohort 3 | Current Cohort
Liam Burns, founder of Alterratech, is pioneering a low-cost retrofit spraying unit that enables targeted application on broadacre sprayers—bypassing existing control systems. By cutting down chemical and water use by up to 90%, Alterratech is delivering both environmental and economic value.
Each of these ventures is driving real change in drought resilience—backed by the support of the Drought Venture Studio and now, additional funding from Agriculture Victoria and LaunchVic.
From smarter water systems to better farmer wellbeing, these innovations are creating a more sustainable future for agriculture.
