• AgriTech Incubator to hold fifth pitch night after eight-week ATI Riverina: Ready to Launch program
• Eight entrepreneurs will pitch their projects to the audience, which will include Member for Wagga Dr Joe McGirr and AgriTech Incubator alumna Mrs Jo Palmer

Eight budding entrepreneurs will impress the audience with their ideas at Charles Sturt University (Charles Sturt) in Wagga Wagga’s fifth AgriTech Incubator (ATI) Pitch Evening.

Participants of ‘ATI Riverina: Ready to Launch’ will present their business ideas to audience members, including AgriTech Incubator alumna and 2019 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Winner Mrs Jo Palmer and Member for Wagga Dr Joe McGirr.

AgriTech Incubator in Wagga Wagga is just one of the University’s initiatives to support entrepreneurship in regional NSW, along with CenWest Innovative Accelerator in Bathurst and the Walan Mayinygu Indigenous Entrepreneurship Pop Up Hub in Albury-Wodonga.

Start-up founders have been perfecting their business ideas in the supportive and collaborative environment provided at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga, ready for their debut next week.

AgriTech Incubator project officer Mrs Siobhain Howard said the AgriTech Incubator aims to spark innovation and economic development in the Riverina.

“The incubator achieves this by supporting the development of start-up companies and facilitating innovation within small-to-medium-sized enterprises by providing access to University expertise and facilities,” she said.

The eight-week program will culminate on Monday 30 September as participants pitch their business ideas, which range from using animation to tell Wiradjuri stories, to soothing sore ears while flying, to using artificial intelligence to find electrical issues.

Charles Sturt PhD student at the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Centre for Functional Grains Centre and program participant Mr Stephen Cork has partnered with a pulse producer and a breakfast cereal manufacturer.

They have developed chickpea flakes that are ready-to-eat sources of plant-based protein and fibre that can assist with reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, bowel cancer and type II diabetes.

Inspect Elec founder Mr Zac Robinson aims to reduce the number of people killed each year due to electrical accidents by identifying potential hazards with a mobile phone app.

Mrs Howard said each round of the program unveils new ideas and innovators and the team is excited to see what participants pitch this round.

“The AgriTech Incubator team are looking forward to celebrating the success of the region’s future entrepreneur businesses and innovative industry leaders,” Mrs Howard said.

The fifth ATI Program Pitch Evening for the ‘ATI Riverina: Ready to Launch’ program will be held on Monday 30 September from 6pm at The Convention Centre, building 230 at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga.

Registrations for the free event are still available via the Eventbrite website.

For more information on upcoming programs from AgriTech Incubator, email agritechincubator@csu.edu.au.