An event series showcasing how our land
and people are shaping
Aotearoa’s agritech future.
Agenda | Auckland
8:30am Arrival and coffee
9:00 Welcome
9:30-9:55 Keynote: Building Workhorses, Not Unicorns
Michael Macolino brings a sharp commercial lens to agritech’s evolving capital landscape, exploring why the strongest businesses are built on real customers, strong unit economics and the discipline to last, not just the pursuit of unicorn outcomes.
Michael Macolino, Recode Ventures, Australia.
9:55-10:20 Audience discussion: observations, reflections and implications
10:20-11:00 Fireside chat: Raising capital without breaking the business
This session unpacks what investors are looking for, where founders often misjudge their readiness, and the funding decisions that shape long-term outcomes. Drawing on recent investment success, the panel will share practical lessons from pre-seed to Series A and reflect on what changed before, during and after the raise.
Matty Blomfield, Hectre; Richard Beaumont, Agovor; Ursula Haywood, Scanabull; moderated by Ruth Leary, AgriZeroNZ.
11:00-11:30 Morning break
11:30-12:10 Panel: What makes agritech tick from the inside?
This session goes beyond the polished story to explore the internal reality of building an agritech business, the trade-offs, adaptations and lessons that only become clear deep in the work. In an honest conversation, founders will reflect on what mattered most, what proved harder than expected, and what they wish they’d known earlier.
Oscar Ellison, Levno; Marie-Claire Andrews, Farm Focus; Scott Townshend, Trev,; moderated by Sophie Stanley.
12:10-12:30 Audience discussion
12:30-1:00pm Panel: Farmers as Capital Partners
This session explores how growers can participate directly in agritech investment pathways, not just as users, but as aligned investors helping shape the future of the sector. It will unpack what farmers are actually looking for when they invest, what strong alignment looks like from the farm gate, and how better capital pathways can support adoption and long-term value.
Tim Wixon, BNZ; Marcus Henderson, Cultivate; moderated by Chelsea Hirst, NZ Product Accelerator
1:00-2:00 Lunch and networking
2:00-3:10 Workshops: global scale partnerships and exports, progress on digital dexterity, tech adoption and product management maturity.
3:20-3:40 What does it take to accelerate real scale from New Zealand?
In this fireside chat, Scott Maud will reflect on Halter’s remarkable rise and what it takes to build an agritech business with real scale from New Zealand. Beyond the growth story, the conversation will explore the mindset, momentum and operating discipline behind the climb, and what Halter’s trajectory signals for the future of agritech, productivity and globally significant businesses from Aotearoa.
Scott Maud, Halter; in conversation with Brendan O’Connell.
3:40-4:00 Audience discussion
4:00-4:50 Investor reverse pitch session
We’re flipping the pitch session on its head and handing the mic to investors! We’ll learn who they are, what they fund, what they’ve backed, and what makes a company genuinely investable in their eyes. Expect a reality check on capital types, expectations and the discipline required to build workhorses that scale. Meet these investors, delivering a single-slide reverse pitch.
Wilson Huang, Agnition; Paul Muckleston, Pacific Channel; Ruth Leary, AgriZeroNZ; Warren Bebb, Sprout Agritech; Marcus Henderson, Cultivate; Andrew Kelly, BioPacific Ventures; Sue Campbell, Enterprise Angels; Sam Butler, NZGCP.
4:50-5:00 Closing summary
5:00-6:00 Networking drinks
