Bridging The Grower-startups Gap: Why Early Conversations Matter

25 March 2026, AU: GRDC has partnered with the Stride program to help agtech developers work with growers and develop products that more effectively improve farm productivity.

Every grower manages risk on multiple fronts. Some risks play out over months. Others stretch across decades. Profitability, rainfall, shifting markets – the job is to balance what can be controlled against
what cannot.

So when a startup arrives promising to optimise farming, scepticism is understandable. Growers’ daily reality is practical and reactive. There’s little time for promises that don’t align with seasonal decisions.

And that’s the gap in agricultural innovation. Innovators develop solutions, and growers who could benefit often are not talking to them early enough to help develop exactly what is needed.

Why the gap persists

Startup founders can sometimes underestimate how complex growers’ decision-making really is. Many come from engineering or software backgrounds, not agriculture, and may not yet appreciate the layers of risk that shape each season’s choices. Farming is a business built around timing, weather, markets and context, and no 2 years are the same.

When those 2 worlds meet, miscommunication can creep in. Founders are often taught to pitch, lead with a solution and sell a vision. But what a grower hears might sound like a critique of how they already operate, when in reality, both are simply coming from different perspectives. Building trust starts with listening and understanding each other’s context.

Early collaboration changes outcomes

I have had the privilege of mentoring and coaching as part of Cicada Innovations’ ‘Stride’ program, representing the grower perspective. (Stride is an incubator for deep tech developers.) The program is one example of how innovation and agriculture can be brought into the same room to start those vital conversations early.

Stride has already helped more than 15 agtech ventures across Australia connect with growers and agronomists while developing their solutions. I’ve seen firsthand how those discussions can change the trajectory of a company, sparking an ‘aha’ moment, a rethink, or completely reshaping their direction.

Platypus Vision is one such example. Combining light analysis and AI, the team set out to remove the guesswork from grain grading.

Through Stride, it connected directly with growers who pinpointed the real issues – time, cost and inconsistency of manual grain assessment. That feedback helped the team pivot from selling hardware to building a subscription model that delivers reliable, on-farm quality data built around grower needs.

Lessons from the paddock

BioScout: The company began with a bold idea, detecting fungal spores with drones to predict disease outbreaks. Early grower feedback revealed a simple reality: applying fungicides is already an insurance job, and a drone just adds another task in a busy season. Within an hour, the founders saw that embedding their detection tech into existing systems would make far more sense. Listening before building changed their direction.

PyroAg: Entering a crowded biochar market, this venture faced early scepticism. Rather than chase hype, they focused on generating solid, on-farm evidence for their biochar and wood vinegar products. It’s slow, patient work, but it’s the kind that earns trust and long-term credibility.

121SEED: This is focused on nutrient-enhanced feed crops with strong science but limited understanding of how growers select and manage varieties. For the CEO, who was new to industry, early conversations were pivotal. One ‘aha’ moment came from exploring the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development variety guide, which clarified the complexity growers navigate each season. The team focused on dual-benefit product development, building varieties that offer benefits to both the end-user and growers.

These examples show why early conversations between innovators and growers are essential. Honest feedback can prevent years of missed opportunities.

Advice for startups

Immerse yourself before you sell. Attend field days. Join agronomy updates. Listen to farm podcasts. Talk to agronomists before approaching growers. Learn the language and timing of on-farm decisions.

When you meet a grower, your first job is not to pitch – it’s to understand the problem. Ask questions. Be honest about where your technology is and where it could go. Respect people’s time and networks. In this industry, relationships are built slowly and remembered for years.

Advice for growers

When approached for input, remember it won’t be a perfect solution. Your input during development is what makes technology useful on-farm.

The earlier you engage, the more likely a product will solve your real problems, not imagined ones.

Start by identifying the tasks that cost time or money. Where are you forced to react rather than plan ahead? Better information can turn those moments into proactive decisions. Valuing time is key. Technology that saves it often pays for itself.

Looking ahead

Programs such as GRDC’s partnership with Cicada Innovations are helping close the gap between growers and technology startups. This could lead to faster adoption, smarter tools and stronger outcomes for the grains industry.

Tools designed with growers, not for them, are the ones that stick.

Resources: Cicada Innovations webpage: Agtech programs

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