New Zealand-based agtech startup Halter has joined the ranks of unicorns after raising $100 million in Series D funding, pushing its valuation to $1 billion.
The investment, led by tech-focused firm Bond with participation from NewView, Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC, Blackbird, Icehouse Ventures, and Promus Ventures, will fuel Halter’s expansion across the United States.
Halter’s innovation centers around a smart collar system, which, alongside connectivity towers and a mobile app, allows dairy farmers to virtually manage cattle. By using sound and vibration cues, farmers can guide, monitor, and contain their herds remotely—improving grazing patterns and cutting environmental impacts.
This funding round highlights a rare success in agtech during a time of cautious investment. The global dairy sector, however, remains a bright spot, with increasing demand for automation-driven productivity.
Currently, Halter collaborates with 150 ranchers across 18 U.S. states. CEO and founder Craig Piggott said their tech is especially timely as more than half of U.S. ranchers are over 55 and facing critical labour shortages.
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“Halter enables smaller teams to manage herds efficiently, without constant physical presence,” Piggott noted.
Labour constraints have worsened in recent years, exacerbated by deportation policies affecting the immigrant workforce that U.S. agriculture depends on.