Livestock farming is critical in providing food security and sustaining rural economies. Traditional livestock management methods often involve manual labor and periodic checks, which can be inefficient and prone to human error. These methods include visual inspections, paper-based record-keeping, and basic mechanized systems for feeding and milking.
While these traditional techniques have served farmers for decades, they come with significant and pressing challenges, such as delayed detection of health issues, inefficient resource utilization, and higher operational costs. The urgency to overcome these challenges is what drives the adoption of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF).
PLF addresses these challenges by integrating advanced technologies like IoT sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics into livestock management practices. These systems enable continuous, real-time monitoring of animals, providing detailed insights into health, behavior, and environmental conditions. This allows for early detection of diseases, optimized feeding strategies, and better overall animal welfare. Precision technologies offer more accurate and actionable data, improving productivity and reducing costs.
This article highlights five innovative growth-stage precision livestock farming startups revolutionizing farm and field management with technologies.
These startups have the potential to grow rapidly, are in a good market position, or can introduce game-changing farming technologies to the market in the next 2-3 years.
This makes them a great option to partner, collaborate, or acquire.
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1. Farm4Trade Developed ADAL for Automate Carcass Inspection
| Founding Year | 2016 |
| Headquarters | Abruzzi, Italy |
| Total Funding Amount | €1.3M |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Publicly Not Disclosed/€38K |
| Website | farm4trade.com |
Traditional livestock management systems often struggle with inefficiencies and inaccuracies due to outdated methods like boluses and ear tags, which can be easily lost or tampered with.
These inefficiencies lead to problems tracking animal health and productivity, which compromises food safety and results in economic losses for farmers.
To solve these issues, Farm4Trade has developed an integrated suite of tools leveraging advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Vision.
One of the startup’s flagship technologies is the Automatic Detection of Abattoir Lesions (ADAL), which uses AI to automate carcass inspection and improve disease detection accuracy. Another innovative product is the PhAID system, which utilizes AI for photographic animal identification. It provides a contactless recognizing and tracking method for individual animals through biometric data. The system has a recognition accuracy of over 90%.
The startup also offers an integrated cloud-based Farm4Trade Suite, which allows farmers to manage data across all stages of livestock production, from breeding to transport, enhancing productivity and transparency throughout the supply chain.
It includes several integrated applications, each tailored to address specific aspects of livestock farming. The applications include Farm Management, Feed Formula, Business Intelligence, Snap Animal, and Amove. These apps work seamlessly together, providing farmers with a powerful, cloud-based platform that supports online and offline data management, making it accessible and efficient even in remote areas.
Andrea Capobianco Dondona founded this startup and is leading it as CEO. He has vast experience in animal care and science as a veterinarian and epidemiologist. Dondona is also a GLEWS Coordinator at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Farm4Trade raised its latest funding of €38K from the 7th funding round held Oct 4, 2019.
Related Read: Innovative AI Tools for Animal Health Diagnostics
2. Kraal Helping Farmers in Culling, Breeding, And Farm Management with AI
| Founding Year | 2016 |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
| Total Funding Amount | $160K |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Angel Investment/$160K |
| Website | https://kraal.farm/ |
Traditional farm management methods often fail to provide real-time, accurate data, leading to inefficiencies, higher mortality rates, and increased costs due to preventable diseases and suboptimal management practices.
To solve these problems, Kraal has developed innovative technologies, including GPS-enabled digital ear tags and a comprehensive cloud-based platform.
The Kraal Tag is a lightweight, solar-powered device that lasts up to five years and provides real-time data on livestock location, health, and behavior.
This data is transmitted to Kraal’s cloud platform, which uses AI and machine learning to generate actionable insights. The platform allows farmers to monitor individual and herd health, receive alerts for at-risk animals, and make informed decisions about breeding, culling, and overall farm management.
The system also streamlines record-keeping by integrating data on medical treatments, compliance, and economic performance, creating a single source of truth for farm operations.
Kraal’s technology combines advanced AI, machine learning, and robust, low-maintenance hardware for farm management. Unlike traditional tracking methods that may be prone to errors and require frequent maintenance, Kraal’s ear tags provide accurate, high-resolution data. These tags work over a range of up to 15 kilometers and, with durable hardware, reduce costs by approximately 25%.
Ian B. is the founder and CEO of Kraal since its inception. His experience in digital transformation, product development, business strategy, and digital Architecture helps him grow this startup. He is also a principal consultant for digital transformation and strategy at Progressive Grounds. Ian worked with organizations like Yahoo, Santam Insurance, Visa, and Glue Reply.
Kraal secured its latest funding of $160K from an Angel investment round on 24 November 2024.
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3. OPTIfarm Providing Technologies And Services for Poultry Farm Management
| Founding Year | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Chesterfield, England, UK |
| Total Funding Amount | $4.39 Million |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Venture Capital/$1.24 Million |
| Website | https://optifarm.co.uk/ |
Adapting new and efficient management techniques is a necessity for poultry farms to achieve optimal animal health, welfare, and productivity. Traditional methods often fail to provide real-time, accurate monitoring, leading to inefficiencies, increased mortality rates, and suboptimal resource use.
To tackle these challenges, OPTIfarm has developed a comprehensive suite of technologies and services that leverage advanced monitoring systems. Its primary technology includes a proprietary software platform that provides 24/7 remote monitoring of poultry houses. This system uses sensors, imagery, and automation to continuously track key parameters such as temperature, water, and feed levels.
The software analyzes this data to offer actionable insights and recommendations, helping farmers optimize conditions for weight gain, feed conversion ratios, and overall animal welfare.
OPTIfarm’s technology integrates multiple data sources and provides real-time, remote monitoring and management. This system enhances farm productivity and improves animal welfare by promptly detecting and addressing issues. The technology has been shown to improve feed conversion efficiency and reduce mortality rates.
David Speller is the founder and CEO of OPTIfarm. He started his consultancy (Applied Technical Consultancy) around 24 years ago. Later, Speller founded Applied Poultry, which now is Applied Group.
During his professional journey, Speller gained experience operating poultry farms, management services, industrial cleaning, feed haulage, and other specialist poultry services. He is using his knowledge to lead OPTIfram in providing remote global farm optimization services.
OPTIfarm’s latest venture capital funding round was on 12 June 2023 for $1.24 Million.
Related Read: Latest Innovations in Functional Animal Feed Additives
4. Distynct Setting Farm Management At Ease with Smart Alarms
| Founding Year | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Iowa, US |
| Total Funding Amount | $1 Million |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Debt Financing/Publicly Not Disclosed |
| Website | www.getdistynct.com |
Traditional livestock management often relies on periodic checks and manual observations. It results in delayed responses to health issues and inefficiencies in farm operations. There is a need for continuous monitoring of animal health and environmental conditions to prevent diseases, improve welfare, and enhance productivity in livestock farming.
To solve these problems, Distynct has developed technologies, including its Smart Alarm system and the Connectivity Engine.
The Smart Alarm system can be installed using existing wires and probes, transforming them into advanced smart alarms. This system allows for remote visibility and management of alarms via a mobile device, eliminating the need to physically visit the site to handle false alarms or adjust alarm parameters.
The Connectivity Engine ensures reliable, stand-alone internet connectivity, enabling continuous monitoring of critical factors such as temperature and power status and providing real-time alerts directly to farmers’ phones.
Distynct’s technology has the ability to retrofit existing alarm infrastructure with smart capabilities, significantly reducing installation costs and time. Furthermore, the system provides comprehensive remote management features that improve response times and operational efficiency.
Farms utilizing Distynct’s solutions have reported substantial improvements in the early detection of issues, leading to better animal welfare and optimized resource use, resulting in increased profitability and reduced labor costs.
CEO and co-founder BJ Burgman has been leading Distynct since its inception. He has worked with Elanco for 7+ years in various sales roles, including sales account manager, corporate sales account manager, and global account manager.
Burgman completed his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Agricultural Business at Iowa State University and a Master’s in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University Daniels School of Business. He also holds an MBA from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Distynct raised its latest funding from a Debt Financing round on May 25, 2023. Iowa Dept of Economic Development was the lead investor in this round.
5. EMGenisys Increasing Livestocks’ Pregnancy Outcomes with EMVision
| Founding Year | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, US |
| Total Funding Amount | $109K |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Grant/$4K |
| Website | https://www.emgenisys.co/ |
Traditional methods for evaluating the viability of bovine embryos are often subjective and prone to errors, which can lead to suboptimal pregnancy rates and increased costs for farmers. In livestock reproduction, pregnancy outcomes can be improved through assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs).
EMGenisys has developed a cutting-edge embryo evaluation system that utilizes computer vision technology. This system, known as EMVision, evaluates real-time cellular activity in bovine embryos to assess their viability more accurately.
The technology captures and analyzes high-resolution images of embryos, providing objective, quantifiable data on their health and development. This precise evaluation helps select the best embryos for implantation, thereby improving the success rates of ARTs.
What sets EMGenisys’ technology apart from existing solutions is its use of advanced computer vision and machine learning algorithms to deliver more consistent and reliable assessments compared to traditional methods. Studies have shown that the implementation of this technology has led to a significant increase in successful pregnancy outcomes, enhancing overall efficiency in livestock breeding programs.
EMGenisys is in the capable hands of founder and CEO Cara Wessels Wells. She holds a PhD in reproductive physiology and animal science from Texas Tech University. She is also part of BioTools Innovator, an Accelerator company for deep tech startups.
Wells worked as an undergraduate research assistant at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She was also part of Texas Tech University as a Reproductive Physiology Lab Coordinator and Animal Science Coordinator.
Her 3+ years of experience at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center as an Embryology Lab Assistant also helped her deep tech startups like Embryotics and EmGenisys.
Texas A&M Innovation (Lead investor) provided EMGenisys with its latest grant of $4K on May 19, 2022.
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Authored By: Naveen Kumar, Market Research
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