By digitising supply chains, Agridigital is helping grain growers, buyers and traders around the world unlock new levels of growth, profit and sustainability.
Today’s supply chains are complex, costly, concentrated and opaque. For many Australian agricultural businesses the complexity has meant they can’t have two solid feet on the national, or international stage. An Australian startup, Agridigital, has singled out this dilemma in the industry and found a digital solution.
In only five years, Agridigital has built technology and digital-financing infrastructure for the grain supply chain that has completely changed the Agricultural game. It is one of the eight Australian start-ups recognised in the international Foodbytes! Pitch 2021.
Tackling trust and transparency issues
Many Australians are unaware of the intricacies of grain trading, and many would assume it would be as easy as selling it by the tonne to the highest bidder. The reality can be quite the opposite and the supply chain has many cracks and bumps which cause a lack of trust and transparency.
Problems with today’s global grain supply chain include inefficiencies with manual processes, inequitable access to supply chain finance and food insecurity. Agridigital has wiped the slate clean for Australian growers, and awarded them access to markets, financing and communications with other growers and buyers.
Apps for agriculture
Agridigital has an ecosystem of solutions for nearly every point in the supply chain, all of which have been simplified into accessible apps for smart devices.
The magnum opus of the start-up is the Waypath app – an on-farm grain management solution which enables farmers to track their grain movements all the way from paddock to payment. At the tip of their fingers, farmers have the ability to unlock their finances with every dollar clearly collated. And with a better grasp of their finances, they have the ability to make more confident decisions.
Historically Australian farmers have preferred analogue management solutions, which have been as basic as pen and paper. Agridigital has convinced enough Australians in the bush to make the digital leap, which has ultimately led them to better peace of mind as they achieve their business and financial goals.
There’s also an Agridigital app for storage operators, buyers and finance, and brokers and traders. Every stakeholder in the supply chain is provided with a simplified solution.
Agridigital is going global
The founders – Emma Weston, Bob Mckay and Ben Reid – might be based in Australia, but their vision has always been a global one. Agridigital boasts 8,000 active users across its platforms, and since 2018, the total value of grain managed is over $5 billion, with $70 million financed.
Interest from international markets is well and truly underway, with the start-up now being pulled into North American expansion by a core group of early adopters. Entering into the Northern Hemisphere would be a game changer as the US and Canadian grain markets are approximately 12 times the size of Australia.
“Australia has a similar market structure to the US and Canada meaning our solutions translate well,” says co-founder Emma Weston.
“There is a large growth opportunity for us, and we have the ability to have a real impact across both commodities chains and niche grain supply chains.”
Agridigital and its founders have taken the pandemic head on, even with supply chain disruption and market price volatility. Farmers in the U.S. now have a heightened interest to hold their inventory later into the season and sell at strategic moments. Agridigtal has positioned itself as the solution for these farmers to sell at the exact moment they desire.
Emma Weston and her co-founders are looking forward to continued expansion.
“Combined with the confluence of onsumer and buyer demand for higher value products, and public policy focused on mitigating the environmental impacts of agriculture, it is an exciting time for us to be pulled deeper into the U.S., with Canada on the immediate horizon.”
Will York for the AusBiz editorial team had the opportunity to chat with the eight Australian start-ups recognised in the 2021 Rabobank Foodbytes! Pitch, which sees an international line up of agricultural start-ups and enterprises shaking up the food and agricultural industries. We’ll be sharing those stories over the next few weeks so be sure to check back in!