MOOSE JAW — Cultivator powered by the Conexus Credit Union announced the fourth cohort of its Agtech Accelerator at Canada’s Farm Show in Regina last week, with the three-month program offering resources to help participating companies scale their businesses.
The new cohort includes startups from across Canada and the UK and was unveiled on March 19.
The Saskatchewan-based program has already supported 47 agtech companies across three cohorts, empowering them to scale with capital, mentoring, and valuable industry connections.
Laura Mock, director of Cultivator, said the program is pivotal to attracting global talent to the province.
“Based in Saskatchewan and connected globally, this program leverages the natural strengths of Saskatchewan’s agricultural ecosystems to help founders build out their agriculture innovation in a way that will add value to producers,” Mock said. “Founders and farmers are at the heart of everything we do with the accelerator.”
Mock noted that, of the 10 Canadian companies in the cohort, four are from Saskatchewan — demonstrating what could be the largest representation of Saskatchewan-based companies to date.
So far, Cultivator has helped companies raise $119.2 million in private capital, generate $72.1 million in revenue, and create 193 new jobs.
This cohort is poised to continue the trend, with participants from the UK joining as part of the Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme, aiming to further accelerate global agtech innovation.
Cultivator supports participants through a combination of in-person and virtual programming, beginning with an intensive week of mentorship and followed by three months of virtual sessions tailored to each company’s needs. At the end of the three-month period, these businesses will be presented at a finale event in Saskatoon aligned with Ag in Motion, Saskatchewan’s largest outdoor farm expo on July 15 to 17.
“We bring in mentors from across the agricultural sector and business industries to help accelerate the growth of these companies,” Mock said. “It’s about creating technology and solutions that will truly benefit farmers and the agricultural community.”
One of the companies in this year’s cohort is AgScouter Agronomy, built around cloud-based software for the agriculture industry and co-founded by Jill Sharko and Kara Annand.
“This program will help connect AgScouter with agtech experts and expand our network,” Sharko said. “We are excited to showcase what our company has done and what we have planned for customers looking to digitize their field management.”
Looking ahead, Cultivator has set ambitious goals to further grow Saskatchewan’s agtech ecosystem. Its goal is to support 35 companies by 2030 and 250 companies by 2050.
“It’s about creating sustainable businesses that will keep growing, and eventually reach that $1 million threshold. We want to help these companies scale and reach profitability faster than they would independently,” Mock explained.
Graduating companies will receive ongoing support. “We have a structured alumni support program to help our graduates continue to grow,” Mock noted. “For example, alumni will be invited to network with investors at our demo day and other events — like Ag in Motion — where they can connect with producers and industry leaders.”
In addition to the accelerator, Conexus continues to support local farmers with its new $100 million Ag Grow Fund, allowing producers to access discounted interest rates and reinvest in their operations.
Conexus’ investment in agtech innovation aligns with its broader mission to support Saskatchewan-based entrepreneurs. Since its launch in 2019, Cultivator has incubated more than 170 startups across various industries, offering support to accelerate their growth.
“Cultivator is about more than just supporting companies; it’s about helping them build sustainable businesses that create jobs and grow the economy,” Mock said. “By continuing to leverage Saskatchewan’s strengths in agriculture, we can attract innovators from around the world and turn Saskatchewan into a global hub for agtech innovation.”
For more information, visit Cultivator.ca and Conexus.ca.
