Foment – an accelerator program designed to enable tech start-ups in the wine and tourism sectors to advance their product or service into a market-ready phase – is hosting the inaugural Foment Wine and Tour Tech Variety Hour on Tuesday 30 June to launch the program.
“Technology will shape the future of wine and tourism and we want to put Australia on the map as the global home of wine-tech and tour-tech,” Foment chair Darren Oemcke says.
“Foment is here to accelerate the next generation of wine-tech and tour-tech to be developed here in Australia and exported to the world.
Broadcasting live from Yalumba’s Signature Cellar in the Barossa, the event is open to anyone wanting to hear from an entertaining array of guests in the know about the future of tech for the wine and tourism industries. From Chester Osborne of d’Arenberg to Damien Wilson of Sacramento State University, our guests will have you convinced that the future of wine-tech and tour-tech is here and now.
“Foment is a fabulous opportunity to build technology adoption by the wine and tourism sectors through our acceleration and tech transfer events,” Darren says.
“Our Covid lockdown period YouTube Gala Launch is a new way of bringing the wine and tourism tech world together and profiling some of what is happening in the wine and tourism tech revolution.”
A joint partnership between Flinders University New Venture Institute, Hydra Consulting and Wine Industry Suppliers Australia, Foment delivered its pilot Wine and Tourism Technology Acceleration program in 2019 with great success.
In 2020, the Foment team is expanding its program with the support of major sponsors Wine Australia, Barossa Australia, Australian Government Entrepreneurship Facilitator Service (Barossa Yorke and Mid North) and the backing of the South Australian Government through a SA Wine Industry Development Scheme Grant.
CEO of Barossa Grape and Wine James March says, “The opportunity for the Barossa wine and tourism communities to embrace technology solutions to solve new and existing business challenges was our principal motivator to support the Foment project.
“Like all start-ups, there’s a degree of risk involved. However, working with our experienced program partners, the opportunity to accelerate our region as an early adopter and to build capacity is even more pertinent in today’s rapidly changing landscape of consumer behaviours and expectations.
“With Barossa’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit rising to the opportunity, we hope this program will be like our region, always fermenting with new ideas and attitudes.”
CEO of Wine Australia Andreas Clarke says, “This year, we have seen how quickly the world can change and how crucial technology is in adapting to change. For the wine sector, Foment adds a path to innovation and adapting to change through technology, it’s a means of helping to shape the future.”
After the launch, applications will open to start-ups to apply for the Acceleration Program – this will be driven through innovation ecosystem platform, SkipsoLabs.
For more information visit www.foment.com.au. The launch is from 4pm to 5.30pm ACST one Tuesday 30 June.
Tickets available at Foment | Wine and Tour Tech Variety Hour.