For Hamilton-based agri-tech company Agora, rapid growth has brought exciting opportunities – and some challenges.

Launched commercially in late 2024, Agora provides farmers with real-time visibility into milk quality through wireless telemetry technology. Its innovative system monitors milk vat temperature, volume, agitator status and cooling performance, sending live alerts directly to farmers' phones if something needs attention. The platform also gives dairy processors valuable oversight of milk quality across their supplier networks.

In less than a year, the company has experienced significant growth, with more than 500 New Zealand farms now using the technology.

But as General Manager Hayden Walsh knows, growth alone isn't enough. Building the systems, processes and strategy needed to scale sustainably requires a different kind of investment.

That's where support through Soda and the Regional Business Partner Network came in.

Hayden received Regional Business Partner funding to complete Strategic Focus and Growth Decision Training with Saskia Thornton.

Through a series of advisory sessions, Hayden worked closely with Saskia on everything from supplier management and operational processes to long-term planning.

"When you're at that senior level, there's often nobody to bounce ideas off. Having someone independent, who has been through similar challenges before, was incredibly valuable," says Hayden.

As a technology startup operating in a fast-moving industry, Agora faces a constant stream of decisions and competing priorities.

For Hayden, one of the biggest benefits of the advisory support was gaining greater clarity and focus.

"We've put a lot more structure around what we're trying to achieve," he says.

"It's helped us be more methodical in our planning and shut out a lot of the noise. Instead of trying to do everything, we're being much more deliberate about what we're focusing on."

The sessions provided practical guidance on managing external suppliers, building stronger business processes and creating the foundations needed for sustainable growth.

That outside perspective helped the team make decisions with greater confidence and move forward faster.

While Agora is still in the early stages of its journey, the company has ambitious plans.

Its immediate focus remains firmly on New Zealand, where there is still significant opportunity to expand. Longer term, the business sees global potential for its technology.

The RBP support has helped the team think beyond day-to-day operations and focus on building a roadmap for the future.

"We've been working on tightening up what our one-year, two-year and three-year plans look like," says Hayden.

Having clear goals and a structured framework has provided greater confidence as the business scales and takes on new customers across the country.

Hayden says one of the most valuable aspects of the experience was having a trusted person to talk things through with.

"Quite often as a business leader, you don't have many places where you can openly discuss challenges," he says.

"Having someone who's done it before, who understands growth businesses and who can provide honest feedback, is incredibly helpful."

He also credits Soda's team for helping connect Agora with the right support at the right time.

"Sue from Soda was fantastic. She was really insightful and genuinely wanted to help. She went above and beyond in recommending programmes and opportunities that were relevant for us," says Hayden.

As Agora continues its expansion, the structures established through the RPB support are helping position the company for long-term success.

Find out if your business is eligible for Regional Business Partner funding.