Calgary (Rural Roots Canada) – There was a time not long ago when agri-food technology wasn’t a big thing, but that’s since changed.

“A decade ago, farming and ag tech wasn’t a cool thing,” observes John Hartnett, Founder and CEO of SVG Ventures. “Today, it’s the cool thing because it matters—it’s meaningful for people, families, and the future.”

It’s why SVG launched its flagship agri-food initiative called Thrive. The program brings agri-food tech entrepreneurs to the forefront.

At its most recent Thrive Agri-Food Academy IV Demo Day in Calgary, the winner of the Judge’s Award went to Calgary One Health Laboratories, or Cohlab, an animal care start-up providing diagnostic care and animal health solutions. The People’s Choice award went to Advanced Agriscience, a Canadian synthetic biology & public benefit company specializing in the development of biologicals for agriculture protection and enhancement.

Hartnett believes these events are vital for the future success of the agriculture sector.

“Farmers aren’t hanging out in San Francisco, drinking cappuccinos with entrepreneurs,” says Hartnett. “We’ve devised an ecosystem that brought farmers first, meaning we get to solve their problems.”

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What’s been exciting for Hartnett is the increasing quality of entrepreneurs and pitches, particularly from younger generations in agriculture.

“Every year, it gets better and better and it’s refreshing to see the diversity and the youth and the excitement and the interest in farming,” he says. “I love the fact we have farming founders; third-generation farming 20-something-year-olds, who know the farming world better than a grad who knows nothing about it. It’s great to see that new generation, the next generation of farmers coming up and being involved in technology.”

You can learn more about Thrive by visiting its website.