InVent
(Innovation Ventures)

Cavicam, a plant water monitoring invention by UTAS School of Natural Sciences researchers, Dr Chris Lucani and Professor Tim Brodribb, was recently announced as one of four national winners of Beanstalk Ventures’ inaugural Drought Venture Studios program. The win gives the team $250,000 in funding and in-kind support for the continued commercialisation of Cavicam products.

Cavicam was developed during Dr Lucani’s PhD as a device for measuring drought-related damage in plants, and later as a tool for precisely monitoring plant water usage. Combined with ground-breaking research led by Professor Brodribb, the technology represents a step-change in precision irrigation by determining exactly how much water a plant is using, and the minimum it needs for optimum growth. For farmers, this means maximising crop yield whilst minimising water costs. In comparison with soil-based sensors, Cavicam’s on-plant sensors aim to reduce water consumption by 40-60%.

UTAS’ commercialisation team, InVent, have been strong supporters of Dr Lucani and Professor Brodribb in the recent years of their Cavicam journey, and when Beanstalk’s program was announced, identified it as an excellent fit for Cavicam’s commercialisation pathway.

Global agtech venture builder, Beanstalk, received over 200 expressions of interest for its inaugural Drought Venture Studio program, funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The program supports innovators to commercialise new technologies to improve the drought and climate resilience of Australian farmers. In a highly competitive process, Cavicam was selected for the final 24, based on IP, market potential, drought impact, and whether each innovator was a fit for the venture studio model. The Beanstalk team then worked 1-1 with each innovator for three months to validate the commercial potential of their IP, before entering a dedicated phase of building each venture. The final eight pitched their innovations in Sydney in November 2024, where Cavicam was announced as one of the four national winners, with Dr Lucani receiving the ‘People’s Choice Award’.

“Working with the Beanstalk venture building team was an invaluable experience, and the outcome marks a significant acceleration in Cavicam’s commercial journey. I’m looking forward to fully realising the potential of this technology and the benefits to agriculture and research”.

Dr Chris Lucani

“I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the Cavicam team to give this exciting technology the best chance to improve the efficiency of farm irrigation”.

Professor Tim Brodribb

“It is rewarding to see a UTAS invention with potential on an international scale getting closer to global impact”.

Brett Harris, CEO InVent

InVent is now working with the Cavicam team on company incorporation to underpin the next stage of the commercialisation journey.

Please join us in congratulating Dr Chris Lucani and Professor Tim Brodribb!

Applications for Beanstalk’s next national cohort open in early 2025.