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Bacon, pork chops, ham, oh my! These popular pork products are made possible through successful production (and reproduction) of pigs. Verility, an Indiana-based startup, aims to increase reproductive efficiency in swine through AI. No, not that AI, the other one—artificial intelligence. Pig prediction: According to Verility founder Liane Hart, conception rate is known to be highly correlated with producer profitability (more pigs, more profit). The Verility platform, Fertile-Eyez™ can accurately predict ovulation phase and sperm quality at the point of care. Fertile-Eyez™ is also smartphone-based to keep the technology cost-effective. Sow Me the Money: After winning $100K in the Purdue University Ag-Celerator program, Verility closed a $3.5M Series A round led by Mountain Group Partners. The startup plans to use these funds to scale and commercialize its product for swine producers and breeders. Collab-boar-ation: This technology was originally developed for use in humans by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Verility has licensed the intellectual property for use and development within the swine market. Soundbite: “Producers are facing challenges from rising input costs and labor shortages only exacerbated by the pandemic. They need innovation like Fertile-Eyez to help them meet the important mission of producing animal protein in a sustainable way,” said Dr. Rob Readnour, managing director at Mountain Group Partners. |
Pig Prediction and Fertility Funding
