Our Second Year at EvokeAG
ALGAESYS returned to EvokeAG this February and the conference delivered exactly what we hoped for: meaningful conversations, strong momentum across the sector, and a clearer view of where our technology can create immediate value. It was rewarding to reconnect with people and organisations we met previously and see how their work has progressed.
Throughout the conference we caught up with a range of industry leaders and innovators, including Ming and Jolien from Propagate/Beanstalk, Joerg from X42, and Emily and Elissa from Dairy Australia. The atmosphere was well run, collaborative, and designed to help startups connect with established players.
Soner Bekir on the Demo Stage at EvokeAg 2026
A shift from awareness to action
One of the strongest signals from this year’s discussions was the growing interest in actually farming algae for real-world applications, including food supplements, pharmaceuticals, and potential bioenergy pathways. For ALGAESYS, this reinforces the broader momentum around algae-based solutions, not only as a product, but as a powerful tool for improving water quality and resource efficiency.
Water reuse conversations are being driven by regulation
Where water treatment and reuse came up most directly, the common driver was clear: tightening discharge requirements for nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural operations.
Across conversations with feedlots, dairies, and abattoirs, stakeholders spoke about the increasing need to reduce nutrient loading in discharge water. We also received inquiries related to treating wastewater from stock sale yards across Victoria, where updated EPA expectations are pushing operators to treat water before discharge to adjacent pasture lands.
Mark Tutty with ALGAESYS on Startup Alley, Evoke Ag 2026
Why ALGAESYS fits the agrifood-tech challenge
Agriculture faces growing pressure to reduce carbon footprint, cut water consumption, and meet stricter limits on wastewater discharges. Too often, solving one problem makes another worse.
ALGAESYS is designed to tackle all three challenges at once:
Water reuse: Treating washdown water and runoff to a quality suitable for reuse, helping reduce reliance on scheme or groundwater.
Lower energy and emissions: An energy-efficient process that absorbs atmospheric CO2 and avoids greenhouse gas emissions during treatment.
Nutrient capture: Removing the majority of nutrients by converting them into algal biomass, reducing environmental impact and easing disposal constraints when discharge is required.
Because our system is autonomous, low-maintenance, and does not rely on consumables, it can also reduce operational burden, including reliance on skilled labour.
Beyond farms: fit-for-purpose water for regional communities
Agriculture does not operate in isolation. In Australia, agriculture uses a significant share of available scheme and groundwater, and water scarcity is increasing pressure on both communities and producers.
This is where fit-for-purpose (FFP) water becomes an important opportunity. ALGAESYS can enable high-quality treatment at small scale, helping overcome two of the biggest barriers to reuse water: transportation and quality.
In practical terms, this opens opportunities across:
Regional, rural, and remote wastewater treatment facilities
Dairy milking operations
Abattoirs and feedlots
RAS aquaculture
Breweries, distilleries, and food processing facilities (including sites with existing treatment systems that need improvement)
Connections that matter
Some of the most valuable connections from EvokeAG came from organisations with broad influence across the sector, including Dairy Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, the Future Fuels Association, and DPIRD (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development). While not every conversation becomes a project, these relationships expand awareness of what ALGAESYS can do, and that visibility is essential when introducing new approaches to market.
Soner Bekir at our Startup Alley stall, EvokeAg 2026
Looking ahead
We would absolutely recommend EvokeAG to other agrifood innovators and plan to attend again. Our goal for future events is to arrive with a strong agriculture-based case study so we can demonstrate the benefits of ALGAESYS in the field, backed by real-world data.
For partners exploring wastewater treatment, nutrient reduction, and water reuse in agriculture and regional communities, we would love to connect.