Better pull out those shades. The future of the livestock industry is upon us, and investors are banking on it being a bright one.
Cha-ching: Vytelle, the Kansas City-based precision livestock company is rolling in the dough thanks to a recent Series A funding round worth a cool $13.2M. Their plans with the cash? Speeding up genetic advancement in cattle.
Vytelle officially launched its integrated technology platform last year, and its forward-thinking team is “reshaping genetic progress” via a three-pronged approach:
- A data capture system that records feed intake and weight gain.
- An AI-powered genetic analytics tool that processes genomic, phenotypic, and performance data.
- A souped-up in vitro fertilization technology.
The up-front herd efficiency and sustainability service provided to the producers is what brought ag investment firms including Open Prairie, Wheatsheaf Group, and Fulcrum Global Capital to the table with big checks in hand.
And with one recent study noting that livestock production is the source of around 57% of greenhouse gas emissions stemming from the global food industry (with beef alone contributing 25%), a more sustainable and efficient herd that requires fewer inputs with exceptional output could gain traction fast.
Soundbite: CEO Kerryann Kocher said it best when summing up Vytelle’s core mission: “We want to make meat and milk viable food choices for future generations. We want every producer to have the choices available to them to make a more sustainable cattle herd.”