ACT's tech start-up scene lauded by entrepreneur behind world first automatic livestock medication system.
A revolutionary piece of agricultural technology has scooped three iAwards at a gala dinner celebrating innovations expected to make an impact on a global scale.
The automed automatic livestock medication system has been on the market since 2015 but was first conceived a decade ago. The system calculates the optimal medication for each animal, administers the dose and automatically records the data.
It is a traceable, tamper-proof way of auditing drugs given to all animals from birth to the abattoir and signals the end of underdosing and overdosing. automed founder and chief executive David Edwards said a significant part of his company’s success was due to its location in Canberra, a major city with agricultural industries
located within 30 minutes of its CBD.
“Canberra is one of the best technology eco hubs in the world,” Mr Edwards said. “Out of all the cities and countries I have visited and worked in, Canberra has developed one of the best tech start-up ecosystems.”
The ACT Government awarded an ICON grant to further develop the system in 2014.
"We tried for a long time in NSW to get support and it always fell on deaf ears. It wasn't until we moved to Canberra that we were taken in, supported and ever since then we have not looked back.”
Support also came from ColabitIT, Lighthouse Innovation and the Canberra Business Chamber.
“What this also means for automed is that not only does the livestock industry see the value and future of automed, but so does the public,” Mr Edwards said.
“Winning the awards has been massive in terms of social media, phone calls and potential future partnerships.”
At the iAwards, automed won the Industrial and Primary Industries and Mobility Innovation of the Year categories and took out the Inspiration of the Year Award. Australian Information Industry Association iAwards chairman Mike Pym said automed’s three awards was “unheard of” and called it a “fantastic result”.
About automed
automed is suitable for injectable, pour-on and oral medications and serves the dairy, beef, pork and sheep industries. It is focused on how to sustainably raise animals that consumers can have confidence in. The easy-to-use automed applicator weighing 400 grams records vital information. Farmers can view data about the medication administered to their livestock via desktop computers and smartphones. Data can be stored in a cloud and technical support is provided by the company. The company now has representatives in the United States and Europe.
To find out more about automed, David Edwards from automed will be speaking at Festival of Ambitious Ideas on Thursday 27 October held at Brindabella Business Park at the Canberra Airport.
David Edwards, Miguel Brinlee from automed
automed has developed My Pocket Farmer™ and AutoMed™ which provides an intelligent medication delivery device due to be launched later this year. We are a global team that blends hands-on agricultural experience with software and technology. Our headquarters is in Fyshwick Australia. Formed in 2012, automed is focused on delivering solutions to farmers focused on raising livestock sustainably. Our goal is to keep abreast of industry directions, and provide timely solutions that aid in the areas of compliance, management and organsation.
