Issue No. 1. April 2020

Start, Scale, Grow

Grazing Seedlab Tas: Seedlab Tasmania got off to a fertile start with a vibrant launch event ‘Grazing Seedlab Tasmania’, in the Vegetable Garden at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens on a beautiful summer’s evening on the 6th February. 12 businesses spread out their wares for the 125 or so guests to graze from, with many discussions, connections and conversations to be had. Well-received speeches were made by The Honourable Michael Ferguson MP, representing the Premier, Professor Rufus Black, Vice-Chancellor of UTas, Jason Mcquaid, Head of Business at Woolworths who flew in specially for the event, and Hazel MacTavish-West, Founder of Seedlab.the event by cutting the Seedlab cake with Hazel MacTavish-West and drawing the lucky door prize.

Jason McQuaid and Hazel get acquainted at the media launch. Food, conversations and connections at Grazing Seedlab Tasmania

Phil and Jane Dening having a laugh at the IMAS Info Session

Germinate Bootcamp Kingston

Seedlab Info Sessions

We ran six, one hour Information Sessions in Burnie, Devonport, Launceston, and Hobart in mid-February. These were well attended, with standing room only at the lunchtime session at IMAS (Hobart)! A good mixture of people attended, including stakeholders (RIC, UTas, Cradle Coast Authority, TCCI, State Growth) and startups and interested parties including local mayors, support businesses and investors. We have also shared our plans with AusIndustry, Regional Development Agencies and extensively at UTas and in the media (radio and print). We have released the information session content on the website with a video voice over, alongside a new, improved online application form for Round #2.

News from the Seedlab Incubator Program

45 Tasmanian startup businesses took part in the Germinate Bootcamp Pre-Incubator in March, in Burnie, Launceston and Kingston. We recently launched our first round of the Cultivate Accelerator with 17 businesses. Propagate and the Seedlab Alumni (“The Pod”) will feature in The Leaflet later on in the year, as our seedling businesses progress through Seedlab.

Germinate Bootcamp

45 Tasmanian startup businesses took part in the Germinate Bootcamp Pre-Incubator in March, in Burnie, Launceston and Kingston. Bootcamp is a 2 day face-to-face (12 hours online going forwards), program run by the the Seedlab Team. Bootcamp will help you develop your idea, product or service and build your core business skills and confidence.

“Bootcamp forced me to take a look at our business from a different and perhaps more personalised perspective, which can only be useful.”Justin Birchmore & Jenny Saunders, Academy al Funghi, Launceston.

“The Seedlab staff were exceptional and we hope to utilise their skill and expertise in the future after making this connection. We enjoyed the positive nature of keeping negative out of the conversations and building on positive commentary.”Fiona Onlsow-Agnew, Waverley Distillery.

“What an amazing experience. I’ve told so many people about it and we are really motivated to make it the best product out there. Big call but I believe we can do it.”Courtney Quinn-McCabe, Little Gin Co. Hobart.

HOBART AND SOUTH

HOBART AND SOUTH

FOOD

WEST COAST

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NORTH WEST

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WEST COAST AND REGIONS

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LAUNCESTON & EAST

AGRI-FOOD%30 %14

NORTH WEST

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Infographic outlining the regional (white) and product type distribution (black)

Cultivate

We have recently announced the identities of the 17 start-up businesses that will be taking part in the first round of the Seedlab Incubator’s Accelerator Program: Cultivate.

These include a diverse mix of businesses: eight (8) from the South, five (5) from the North/North-East and four (4) from the North-West of Tasmania.

Products include wholefood snack products, plant-based dairy alternatives, beef/pork/lamb/chicken/egg, cheese and mushroom producers, honey and bushfood spices, condiments and fermented beverages and distilled spirits.

There are two businesses with unique intellectual property propositions, including one with a business-to-business ingredient with potential international appeal.

There are five (5) agri-tourism enterprises; some of these have products as well.

As part of our adaptations to the Covid19 pandemic planning, on 17 April we held our first Cultivate Zoom hookup. We were able to share with all 17 of the businesses who are part of the first round of Cultivate the new structure for the next 6 months and introduce how the Learning Management System will work, as well as giving everyone the chance to introduce themselves and get to know their fellow incubator businesses. The session worked very well, with great feedback from all who joined the call.

Coming soon - The Seedlab Academy

Due to global issues facing the world in early 2020, there has never been a greater need for the services of Seedlab Tasmania for small, early stage businesses in regional areas like Tasmania.

Thus Seedlab needs to go online with our digital content sooner rather than later, and in a greater capacity than originally planned.

The Seedlab Tasmania training program is currently being developed to provide a depth and breadth of rich online content for businesses to access flexibly, as needed: The Seedlab Academy.

The core of the online Seedlab Academy Program will still cover the same topics. It will still be delivered within a similar timeframe. It will still have the same concept of three cohort groups, plus Propagate.

We originally planned to provide core content and coaching support via face-to-face contact where appropriate – because sometimes the most important outcomes arise spontaneously or via a casual chat.

Coaching will be provided via email, telephone, and face-to-face digital platforms. Networking and casual chats will be facilitated by optional Zoom hook-ups.

When we can revert to face-to-face events, we will still host the resources online for Alumni of Seedlab to access.

What we want you to do:Please share our Leaflet with other businesses you think would like to know about Seedlab. Hope to see you at one of our events soon, The Seedlab Team

The Seedlab Tasmania Project is supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through Incubator Support initiative funding as part of the Entrepreneurs’ Programme. In addition to sponsorship from other institutes/companies:

“Thanks again for accepting my business into the Seedlab

Tasmania Germinate Bootcamp. I am extremely

excited to be a part of it and can’t wait to get started”,

Peter Handy, Vertical Pastures.

“I am beyond excited to be a part of this amazing initiative”,

Tracy Taylor, Southwood Wines.

Check out more of our pics and videos and register for upcoming events on More information about Seedlab, and apply to be in Round #2 at

Dr Hazel MacTavish-West

Darren West

Karina Dambergs

is the Founder of Seedlab Tasmania. AKA The VegDoctor, she is an international consultant food scientist & entrepreneur, a Churchill Fellow, founder of the Food Innovation Hub, a founding member of the Tasmanian Food Cluster and Director of MacTavish West Pty. Ltd.

is Seedlab’s technology guru and is a highly experienced development engineer and technical manager with a proven track record of delivering diverse, complex technical projects across multiple industry sectors; he’s also a Chartered electronic and professional engineer, and Director of MacTavish West Pty. Ltd.

is the CEO of FermenTasmania and founder of Red Brick Road Cider brings substantial business and incubator expertise, including experience around developing luxury brands and fermentation technology.