The Sprout Accelerator is a three-month program designed to advance agrifood innovators by helping them discover, articulate, and refine the foundational elements necessary to grow global startups. Participants leverage insights and mentorship from industry specialists to learn how to craft compelling narratives essential for attracting customers, partnerships, team members, and funding. The program offers a collaborative environment where founders can cultivate their startup's core principles through a combination of exclusive online and in-person experiences.
Program Structure and Focus
• Collaborative Foundation Building: Participants learn to establish strong foundations for their startup within a supportive and specialist environment.
• Expert Community: The program provides access to a community of industry experts and cohort peers who are on a similar journey.
• Compelling Storytelling: A key focus is on articulating the startup's core elements to attract the right talent, partnerships, customers, and funding opportunities.
• Exclusive Experiences: The curriculum is delivered through a blend of online and in-person sessions.
Eligibility and Application Criteria
• Innovation Stage: The program is open to early-stage novel innovations, technology, or science, from the idea and prototype phase to post-launch.
• Industry Focus: Innovations must have a direct or potential application within the agrifood value chain.
• Revenue Status: Eligible startups can be pre-revenue or have up to $1,000,000 in revenue post-launch.
• Geographic Scope: Both domestic (New Zealand) and international applications are welcome.
• Agrifood Value Chain Definition: This includes food production (on and off farm), processing, distribution, retail, consumption, safety, and enabling sectors such as energy, environment, climate, animal production, animal health, waste management, and finance.
Time Commitment and Logistics
• Program Frequency: One cohort is run annually during the Spring.
• Duration: The accelerator is a three-month program.
• Weekly Commitment: Participants should expect to dedicate 2–3 hours per week to online individual mentoring and group sessions.
• In-Person Events: The program includes two mandatory 2-day 'Underground' events.
• Final Presentation: The program culminates in a final online Showcase presentation to an audience of industry connections and investors.
Program Costs and Funding
• Participation Fees: There are no fees or equity exchange required to participate in the accelerator.
• Travel and Accommodation: For the in-person Underground events, Sprout covers domestic flights and accommodation for 1-2 people per team. International participants are responsible for their own travel costs to New Zealand.
• Direct Funding: No direct funding is provided as part of the accelerator. However, the program offers opportunities to engage with Sprout's investment team, and the final Showcase provides a platform to attract engagement from other investors and industry organizations.
Key Dates for the 2026 Cohort
• Applications Open: 24 March
• Applications Close: 26 May
• Cohort Selection Pitches: 29-30 June
• Spring26 Cohort Begins: 10 August
• Underground Event One: 4-5 September
• Underground Event Two: 16-17 October
• Showcase Event: 25 November
• Spring26 Cohort Ends: 27 November
Confidentiality and Contact Information
• Intellectual Property: Participants are not required to share confidential information and are encouraged to protect their intellectual property as needed. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are only signed under certain circumstances.
• Further Inquiries: For additional questions, interested parties can make contact via email at accelerator@sproutagritech.com.
Since its inception in 2015, the Sprout Accelerator has played a role in the development of more than 130 early-stage startups, providing a structured pathway for innovators to build and articulate their vision for the future of the agrifood sector.