When Roei 'Roy' Yaakobi immigrated to Australia in 2008, he did not expect to land back where he started, in agriculture.
Leaving behind a third generation farming family in Israel, the business owner is back at the centre of horticultural innovation through founding the agtech company, Tie Up Farming.
Starting as a single founder business, the startup has successfully raised $850,000 in seed capital to expand its footprint into intensive tropical horticulture.
The farm management startup provides on farm weather sensors and software, but more uniquely boasts world-first algorithms for yield forecasting a number of crop varieties.
"There are a lot of sensors and analytics providers on the market, but no one is focusing on science-backed, yield forecasting for horticulture - let alone intensive horticulture," said Mr Yaakobi.
The Tie up Farming service also allows farm managers to monitor yield loss during the on-farm supply chain from harvest to packing shed, through the use of QR codes and RFID technology on picking bins.
This has attracted the attention of big name producers across Australia looking for solutions to quality control in a large labour force.
Their latest capital raise was led by Melbourne-based PAN Group, who strive to invest in purpose-driven startups.
PAN's Chief of Staff Shae Brown said of the decision; "[Our] mission is to empower great people with great ideas. We love the founder's 'boots on the ground' approach and his genuine focus on the Australian farmer."
In addition to a development office in Israel, Mr Yaakobi says the startup will use part of the funds to establish a sales team in northern Australia.
"We're seeing huge demand from customers in the tropical fruit sector such as banana, mango and avocado, so this has guided our decision to open a branch in Queensland."
Farmers in these environmentally sensitive regions are benefiting from Tie Up Farming's additional software features to monitor nutrient application.
For cane and banana growers in the coastal watersheds of Queensland, a digital spray diary will allow users to record fertiliser, chemical and soil conditions ahead of the parliamentary decision to strengthen the reef protection regulations, commencing 2020.
The announcement by the State Government says the amendment bill is part of a renewed effort to reduce water pollution flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.
With the amount of environmental regulation acting upon agricultural landholders, farmers are welcoming technology that makes compliance easier.
