QIC to manage Queensland Government's Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation Fund.
A new $30 million mandate will see QIC support next-generation farmers and boost AgTech adoption in Queensland, scaling cutting-edge solutions to grow farm gate production.
The Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation Fund is a cornerstone initiative of Prosper 2050, the Queensland Government’s 25-year blueprint to future-proof Queensland’s primary industries and boost output to $30 billion by 2030.
Investing from seed through to Series B and selective later-stage opportunities, the Fund is designed to catalyse investment in scalable, high-growth ventures delivering measurable productivity gains, climate resilience and regional economic benefits.
QIC Private Equity Partner Nicholas Guest said the Fund reflects both the scale of opportunity in Queensland’s primary industries and the need for commercially disciplined capital to translate innovation into measurable outcomes.
Queensland is home to one of the most diverse agricultural markets in the world, spanning broadacre cropping, horticulture, livestock, sugar, aquaculture and emerging bio-industries.
Nicholas Guest - Partner, QIC
“That diversity creates an extraordinary platform for innovation.
“We are already seeing rapid advances in automation, data analytics, biological inputs and climate-smart technologies.
“The opportunity now is to accelerate adoption and scale the businesses capable of delivering real productivity gains on farm and across supply chains.”
Mr Guest said Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation addresses a well-recognised capital gap between early-stage research and scaled commercial deployment.
“Many promising technologies struggle to secure the growth capital and commercial support required to move from pilot to widespread adoption,” he said.
“By reserving a portion of capital for follow-on investment and supporting companies from seed through to Series B, we can partner with founders over the long term and back the businesses that demonstrate both commercial traction and meaningful benefit to Queensland producers.”
Operating within QIC’s existing capital and capability framework and leveraging regional ecosystem partnerships, the Fund will target innovations that materially enable Queensland’s primary industries, including:
- Agri-automation, robotics, geospatial and sensing systems that support on-farm operations, processing efficiency and labour productivity
- Digital agriculture platforms such as farm management software, decision-support tools, traceability systems, data analytics and remote monitoring technologies
- Climate and sustainability solutions, including water-use efficiency, soil and biodiversity measurement tools and emissions-reducing technologies
- Biomanufacturing and advanced biological platforms delivering tangible benefits to Queensland producers and processors
- Logistics and value-chain infrastructure including supply-chain optimisation and advanced processing technologies.
The Fund will also support the development of a robust agri-innovation pipeline by engaging with research institutions, universities and other ecosystem enablers.
Eligible ventures must demonstrate commercial merit, clear productivity impact and significant Queensland benefit through local operations, trials, supply-chain participation or job creation.
QIC brings more than three decades’ experience investing on behalf of government and institutional investors, applying disciplined due diligence, active portfolio management and strong governance to every mandate managed.
With a demonstrated track record in agricultural innovation, QIC’s existing investments include SwarmFarm Robotics, whose autonomous farming systems are improving labour productivity and reducing input intensity, and Nbryo, a livestock genetics platform breaking down barriers to advanced cattle breeding techniques for producers globally.
For more information or to register your interest in the Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation Fund, please visit qic.com/Sowing-the-Seeds.
