On March 25, Bloomberg reported that Halter, a New Zealand-based startup developing AI-powered cattle collars, announced the completion of a $220 million Series E funding round, valuing the company at $2 billion. The round was led by Founders Fund, with participation from Blackbird Ventures, DCVC, BOND Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, NewView Capital, Ubiquity Ventures, Promus Ventures, and Icehouse Ventures. The company aims to bring its technology to more ranchers worldwide.
Halter's technology aims to create "virtual fences" for cattle and allow farmers to monitor livestock's location and health indicators in real time via an app. Its solar-powered smart collars connect to farmers' phones, enabling them to remotely manage ranches—for example, ranchers can use vibrations and sound signals emitted by the collars to drive or guide the cattle.
