As part of Breakthrough Victoria’s University Innovation Program, Breakthrough Victoria and La Trobe University, are each co-investing $500,000 through La Trobe’s Eagle Fund in a Melbourne-based company developing sustainable farming solutions to boost efficiency for both Earth’s agriculture and space exploration.
The investment is part of Breakthrough Victoria’s $100m University Innovation Platform (UIP). UIP aims to increase the commercialisation of critical research with real-world benefits from Victorian universities.
La Trobe University, Deakin University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, and Swinburne University have each contributed $9m, RMIT has contributed $7.5m, and Australian Catholic University $7m in funding, matched by Breakthrough Victoria, to create new partnership agreements to drive the commercialisation of their research.
Gaia Project Australia (GPA) is a Melbourne-based company specializing in agricultural technology (AgTech) to future-proof food security.
Founded in 2020 by engineer and innovator Nadun Hennayaka, GPA was born from the identification of a critical gap in sustainable food production. Despite increasing climate and cost pressures amidst a backdrop of rising global demand for sustainable food, the shift to Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)—a method set to revolutionise farming—remains slow.
GPA has developed a technology, Omni-System, patented in 49 countries, designed to help leafy green vegetable growers increase yields by up to 40%—without relying on expensive robotics or complex workflow systems prone to failure. The innovation lies in real-time dynamic plant spacing, as young plants require far less space than mature ones, however traditional CEA systems keep spacing fixed or rely on intricate, costly adjustments.
The company and its R&D partner – La Trobe University were named finalists in NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge for a project designed to grow food for long space journeys such as the Artemis missions to the moon and Mars.
The joint team that included experts from La Trobe’s engineering and plant sciences departments created a prototype for NASA which produced 40% more leafy greens, compared to the output from other technologies currently available in the CEA sector.
Breakthrough Victoria’s investment in Gaia through its University Innovation Program (UIP) was matched by $500,000 from La Trobe’s Eagle Fund as part of BV’s broader UIP partnership, and is part of a $1.7m raise that includes Mandalay Venture Partners and LaunchVic’s Hugh Victor McKay Fund.
Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson, said: “We are backing Gaia Project Australia’s innovative technology because agriculture is one of Victoria’s great strengths and this technology has the potential to turbocharge production in our agriculture sector. The Allan Labor Government recognises that AgTech is at the core of the Victorian economy, which is why it is one of five priority sectors in our Economic Growth Statement.”
Breakthrough Victoria CEO Rod Bristow added: “Investing in Gaia Project Australia aligns with our mission to support groundbreaking innovation that drives sustainability and economic growth. Through our University Innovation Program and partnership with La Trobe’s Eagle Fund, we are helping to scale technologies like Leafy 2.0 that have the potential to transform agriculture on Earth and beyond. We are excited to see Gaia’s advancements contribute to global food security and even future space exploration.”
Gaia Project CEO Nadun Hennayaka concluded: “We have seen first-hand in Australia and abroad the impact of the rising cost of fresh produce during a cost-of-living crisis. Our mission is to empower farmers with the latest cost-efficient technology to set them up for sustainable success, being able to absorb variability in costs by delivering consistent, predictable, efficient yields. Ultimately, all consumers should be able to afford fresh produce.”
