A life in cotton: honouring an industry pioneer
CRDC marks Allan Williams' 2026 industry service award with a career retrospective, covering his decades across cotton research bodies and his recent departure as the corporation's executive director.
Investor · 1 deal
Narrabri, NSW
Every published round CRDC took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FluroSat | Accelerator | 2017 | - | Lead | Cotton Research and Development Corporation (7 Jan 2022), Cotton Research and Development Corporation (21 Feb 2019) |
Companies CRDC has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FluroSat | Helps farmers increase the yield of their crops using satellite imaging | 2017, Accelerator | 1 | 1 |
Fund closes reported for CRDC, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies CRDC has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal CRDC did.
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce Finney | Executive Director (former) | Cotton Research and Development Corporation |
| Allan Williams | Executive Director (former) | Cotton Research and Development Corporation |
Stories naming CRDC. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
CRDC marks Allan Williams' 2026 industry service award with a career retrospective, covering his decades across cotton research bodies and his recent departure as the corporation's executive director.
CRDC profiles NanoSoils Bio founder Dr Cong Vu, whose nanoparticle crop technology earned a 2023 ABARES award and a CRDC grant, ahead of the startup's Startup Alley appearance at evokeAG in Perth.
CRDC announces that an irrigation algorithm developed by University of Southern Queensland and CSIRO researchers has gone to Goanna Ag, which will fold it into its GoField service to guide cotton growers' first irrigation.
CRDC profile celebrates FluroSat founder Anastasia Volkova topping The Australian's 100 Innovators list, recalling its startup workshop support since 2017 and FluroSat's acquisition of Dagan's soil modelling capability to form Regrow Ag.
Also AgFunderNews
A CRDC-funded canopy sensor built by CSIRO researchers at Narrabri will reach the market via Goanna Ag, helping growers fine-tune irrigation without losing yield; FarmOnline ran the coverage.
A University of New England-led project with UK firm BioCarbon Engineering will test drone and tractor seeding for cheaper revegetation of cotton farmland, backed by a $1.3 million government grant won by CRDC.
A review of global agtech investment trends and Australia's growing ecosystem, recalling 2016 sector figures plus recent local milestones: an accelerator and venture fund launch, an acquisition, and a large raise.
Also evokeag.com