Joseph Canning’s company, Hawkeye Access, was born out of a photography hobby and now it is set to bring significant changes to the farming industry after he participated in the Agtech and Logistic Hub’s and AgriBusiness Connect’s GroundUp Program.
Mr Canning started Hawkeye Access in 2019, two years after first buying a drone for his photography hobby. He noticed farmers also using this technology and identified the need for more support with procurement, usage, and maintenance of this machinery.
After two rough years through COVID-19, the UAV Pilot and Hawkeye Access CEO joined the GroundUp program, hoping to gain customers and clients. He ended up gaining the confidence, insight and advice he needed.
“During COVID, a lot of businesses got hit. (With GroundUp), we’ve been able to re-energise ourselves, learn where we have shortcomings to fix them up for the future,” he said.
GroundUp was a 12-week program, run by the Hub in conjunction with the Grains Research and Development Corporation, for companies seeking support and guidance in go-to-market, commercialisation and investment. Through GroundUp, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) invests exclusively in innovative start-ups that have the potential to benefit Australian grain growers.
Hawkeye Access provides imagery and mapping with its drone technology and property management with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Mr Canning believes machine learning is the next generational leap in the agricultural industry.
“A lot of the time, it’s just been new tractors, new bits, new pieces, and stuff like that. It hasn’t (yet) been a generational leap like it was coming from horses to tractors.
“I think that’s potentially what we’re looking at, that next huge shift in how businesses and agricultural businesses trying to attack problems.”
The GroundUp program aims to help companies validate and deploy their solutions.
The accelerator has helped Mr Canning solve issues he’s been trying to work out for six to 12 months.
“Getting a completely different point of view on the problem we’ve been facing has been able to shine a light onto the problem,” he explained.
“You get someone who is non-agricultural or non-UAV or ‘non me’ to have a look at the problem and they just say a couple of words and all of sudden you get this aha moment.”
Throughout the program, participants are given the opportunity to collaborate with industry and participate in their solutions to further refine ‘market fit’.
The program culminated with the GroundUp Agtech Showcase Day, a major pitching event on 16 February.
At the showcase Mr Canning presented his machine learning process, which assists farmers in identifying and tracking problems across their farms, with firm hopes of a successful pitch and gaining clients.
Mr Canning said he is most grateful for all the people he has connected with through his GroundUp experience.
“There are other people fighting the same problems, and there are people out there that will gladly join together and help out.”
