Copyright farmersweekly
Reading Time: 2 minutes New Zealand agri-tech company Bovonic has secured funding from Cultivate Ventures to help launch its mastitis screening device QuadSense into the United Kingdom and Ireland. Cultivate Ventures has joined the company’s investor group for the first time, in an investment round led by Pacific Channel, and also included Enterprise Angels and NZVCs. The investment will enable Bovonic to transition from a fast-growing New Zealand startup to a global agritech exporter. QuadSense is a self-installable, in-line mastitis screening device designed for conventional milking systems, which make up more than 90% of dairy sheds worldwide. The technology gives farmers real-time visibility of udder health during milking, helping detect mastitis early and protect both production and animal welfare. Since its commercial launch, more than 4000 QuadSense units have been installed across approximately 150 New Zealand farms. “The support from Cultivate Ventures is a strong endorsement of both the technology and the problem we’re solving for farmers,” says Bovonic founder and CEO Liam Kampshof, who has recently relocated from New Zealand to the UK to oversee the rollout. “Dairy farmers are looking for tools that are accurate, affordable and easy to install. That’s what QuadSense is delivering on farm, day in and day out.” Cultivate Ventures backs high-growth agri-tech and agri-food technologies transforming the future of food production. “We’ve been tracking Bovonic’s progress closely over the past few years and are pleased to participate alongside Pacific Channel and other investors in this latest funding round,” said Cultivate Ventures’ director Marcus Henderson. “Bovonic stands out as one of New Zealand’s most promising agri-tech ventures, and we’re excited to support Liam and his team as they continue to scale their operations domestically and start to pursue global market opportunities.” Pacific Channel chief investment officer Dr Rob Powell said Bovonic exemplifies the type of scalable, science-backed innovation New Zealand can lead on globally. “QuadSense addresses a major productivity and welfare challenge for dairy farmers worldwide. This next phase shows how New Zealand-developed deep-tech can scale internationally to deliver both economic and environmental outcomes.” Kampshof said the funding will help Bovonic make its first major offshore launch a reality. “New Zealand has been an incredible proving ground, and now we’re in a position to take QuadSense to farmers in the UK and Ireland who are facing the same mastitis pressures. It’s a milestone moment for us – moving from a homegrown innovation to a globally scalable solution.” Bovonic’s UK and Ireland launch marks the start of a wider international expansion, with additional markets targeted following dealer and partner appointments.
