Another Aussie state market opens for Halter
Another Australian state has given the green light to virtual fencing, opening another market for Kiwi company Halter.
New Zealand tech company Halter has raised $165 million from investors in its latest fundraising round.
The Series D fundraising round, led by BOND, a global technology investment firm, values Halter at $1.65 billion
Halter, founded by Waikato entrepreneur Craig Piggott, supplies virtual fencing and animal management systems to farmers.
Piggott says Halter was built with their early farmers.
“We wouldn’t be here without them. We’re deeply grateful for their trust. This capital will help unlock productivity gains for even more farmers.”
The company says Halter is the leading operating system to run a dairy or beef farm. The Halter system includes a solar-powered smart collar for each cow, towers for connectivity, and an app that lets farmers manage their cattle and pasture from their phone. Cattle are guided by the collar’s sound and vibration cues. Farmers can virtually fence, move, and monitor their cattle 24/7.
“Halter farmers are more profitable and get better outcomes for the environment and their animals. Farmers use Halter to grow and harvest more grass, reduce workload, increase herd size, improve animal health and welfare, and unlock environmental benefits,” says Piggott.
The latest funding round was backed by investment from NewView Capital, continued support from local investors Blackbird and Icehouse Ventures, and ongoing backing from Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC, and Promus Ventures.
Piggott says the milestone highlights the importance of farming in society.
“Farmers are the backbone of rural communities. They feed society and play a key role in building sustainable food systems. Halter farmers are pioneering a more productive and sustainable way to farm.
“We’re delighted to partner with BOND and to welcome NewView, and we’re grateful for continued support from our investors who backed us early – we’re all aligned on our mission to support farmers.”
Additional tariffs introduced by the Chinese Government last month on beef imports should favour New Zealand farmers and exporters.
Primary sector leaders have praised the government and its officials for putting the Indian free trade deal together in just nine months.
Primary sector leaders have welcomed the announcement of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand.
Dairy farmers are still in a good place despite volatile global milk prices.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.

OPINION: The release of the Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill to replace the Resource Management Act is a red-letter day…
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to…