LIC ends year with $30.6m profit
Herd improvement company LIC has ended the 2024-25 financial year in a strong position - debt-free and almost quadrupling its net profit.
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.”
The Innovation Awards at June's National Fieldays showcased several new ideas, alongside previous entries that had reached commercial reality.
To assist the flower industry in reducing waste and drive up demand, Wonky Box has partnered with Burwood to create Wonky Flowers.
Three new directors are joining Horticulture New Zealand’s board from this month.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will leave the door wide open for continued conversions of productive sheep and beef farms into carbon forestry.
Federated Farmers says a report to Parliament on the subject of a ban on carbon forestry does not go far enough to prevent continued farm to forestry conversions.
New Zealand Apples and Pears annual conference was a success with delegates and exhibitors alike making the most of three days of exhibitions, tours, insightful discussions, valuable networking and thoughtful presentations.
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