Women Entrepreneurs Fund Winner - Jade Luxton
- jemmabalmer3
- Mar 26
- 1 min read
Revolutionising Livestock Health: Jade Luxton's Sterineedle Innovation
Jade Luxton epitomises the innovative spirit The Christchurch Foundation's Women Entrepreneur Fund was established to support. Her creation, Sterineedle—a groundbreaking holster that sterilises needles on vaccination guns—addresses a critical gap in livestock health management.
Starting as a high school agribusiness project after conversations with a local deer farmer, Jade identified a significant problem: the transmission of disease through reused needles during vaccination. Her elegant solution not only improves biosecurity and animal welfare but also creates efficiencies for farmers by eliminating time-consuming needle changes.
The $10,000 grant from the Women Entrepreneurs Fund will enable Jade to invest in an injection moulding tool—a crucial step in scaling production and creating high-quality prototypes for field testing. This funding comes at a pivotal moment, allowing proper material testing and final design refinements before bringing Sterineedle to market.
As a female entrepreneur in agriculture—traditionally a male-dominated sector—Jade has faced her share of doubters. Her advice resonates with many women pushing boundaries in business: "Ignore the doubters, push forward, and prove them all wrong."
Congratulations, Jade!
