By Kenneth Cheung

Agtech startups make connections with open-minded Sask. farmers

Jul 17, 2025 | 1:25 PM

Some of the newest names in agriculture innovation are finding fertile ground in Saskatchewan and it’s not just the soil.

The Agtech Accelerator held its program finale at Ag in Motion from July 15 to 17, marking the first time the event has taken place at Western Canada’s largest outdoor farm expo.

The three-month accelerator is run by Cultivator, a tech incubator based in Regina and powered by Conexus Credit Union. A tech incubator is a program designed to support and nurture early-stage technology companies, offering resources like mentorship, workspace, and sometimes funding, to help them grow and succeed. Cultivator’s goal is to connect tech startups with farmers, funders and industry leaders to bring new tools and ideas into the field.

Since launching in 2021, the program has supported 62 founders across Canada and the United Kingdom over four cohorts. The first three cohorts backed 47 companies and helped create 193 jobs. This year, Cohort 4 wrapped up its program with a public finale at Ag in Motion.

“Anchoring ourselves to a show that already attracts such a global audience… It’s a great opportunity to have a high impact in a very small, tight location in a short amount of time,” said Laura Mock, director of Cultivator.

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These companies are working on everything from pheromone-based pest control to drone survey systems. And some of those founders said local farmers stand out for their own openness to innovation.

“I grew up on a farm. My dad was a farmer. He was quite resistant to change,” said Mary Ellis, founder of UK-based PheroSyn Ltd., a company pioneering pheromone-based integrated pest management (IPM) solutions.

“And I don’t really see that at all at the moment in Canada. It’s really refreshing.”

PheroSyn’s products use synthetic insect pheromones to disrupt pests’ behaviour — offering eco-friendly, targeted pest control without the need for chemical pesticides. The goal is to help farmers manage pests more precisely, improve yields and protect pollinators and biodiversity.

“What pheromones can be used for is a lot more specific than agrochemicals,” Ellis said. “They protect pollinators and protect biodiversity, and that’s really what’s at the heart of my mission.”

Her company is now working with farmers on field trials targeting wheat midge and pea leaf weevil.

“Canadian farmers in general are really early adopters. Most of the farmers I speak to are really excited about trying out new technologies,” she said.

For Seann Coulson, co-founder of Calgary-based Threshold UAV Inc., connecting with those farmers was a turning point.

“We’ve been working on it for about two years now, and we’ve been able to provide anywhere between a five and ten times efficiency increase for a lot of the guys we work with,” Coulson said.

His company developed a drone control system that transforms off-the-shelf drones into synchronized swarms — cutting the time it takes to survey a 160-acre quarter section from a few hours to just 20 minutes.

“Margins in farming are small, so farmers take a really critical look at anything they choose to spend money on,” he said. “So, when we’re given a chance to do a field trial, it’s a great indication that they really see good value with what we’re doing.”

“Time is money. A job that used to take all day can now be done by lunch.”

Seann Coulson, co-founder of Threshold UAV Inc., speaks about his company’s drone control technology during the Agtech Accelerator finale at Ag in Motion in Langham on July 16, 2025. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff

The drones used in Threshold UAV Inc.’s multi-drone control system. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

Both Ellis and Coulson said Cultivator helped move their companies forward by connecting them with farmers, mentors and potential investors.

“They really lean into our needs,” Ellis said.

That kind of collaboration, Mock said, is at the heart of what Cultivator does — and a key part of Saskatchewan’s role in the future of agtech.

“Saskatchewan is an agricultural province,” she said. “By building the innovation and developing it in the heart of Canadian agriculture, it really allows more connectivity to producers, industry and investors.”

Cultivator has set a bold goal: to help 250 Saskatchewan companies grow to over $1 million in annual recurring revenue by 2050. Its partner, Conexus, has also launched a $100-million Ag Grow Fund aimed at supporting producers through customized financing.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com