The New Zealand agtech startup, which developed a GPS-enabled solar collar that “guides” cows through pastures using sound and vibration, has raised NZ$85 million (A$79.5 million) in a Series C.
The round was led by US VC Bessemer Venture Partners with existing backers Blackbird, Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck Kiwi VC Icehouse Ventures and DCVC.
Mechanical engineer Craig Piggott launched Halter in 2016, aged 22, with the support of Beck, his former boss at Rocket Lab.
Halter previously raised A$29 million (NZ$32 million) in Series B in 2021.
The subscription collar is designed to create fence-less farming, with the ability to keep livestock away from waterways and other sensitive environments, in addition to the ability to monitor herds 24 hours a day and allow farmers to move their herds remotely. The company has registered the term ‘cowgorithm’.
The Halter Collar collects five data points per second on each cow, which can provide proactive insight into each animal’s health, using the data to detect subtle changes in animal behavior that can alert farmers when a cow is in heat, lame or on the verge of is calving. the animal shows visible signs.
The technology is leased on a per-cow subscription basis based on the farmer’s required characteristics, while Halter retains ownership and maintenance of the collars.
Bessemer partner Tess Hatch joins the Halter board. While still operating out of Auckland, with an experimental farm in New Zealand’s Waikato region, towards the northwestern tip of the North Island, the company is now registered in the US.
The new capital will be used to improve the technology behind the cow fitbits.
