Founders Fund leads one of agtech’s largest funding rounds as demand for livestock digitisation accelerates
25 March 2026, Colorado: New Zealand-born agtech company Halter has raised $220 million in a Series E funding round, valuing the company at $2 billion, as it intensifies efforts to expand its virtual fencing technology across global livestock markets. The round was led by Founders Fund, with participation from investors including Blackbird, DCVC, Bond, Bessemer, NewView, Ubiquity, Promus and Icehouse Ventures.
The funding marks one of the largest capital raises in the agtech sector to date, underscoring growing investor confidence in digital livestock management solutions and the rapid adoption of virtual fencing systems among ranchers.
At the heart of Halter’s system is The Cowgorithm®, an artificial intelligence engine built to understand how animals behave and learn. It automatically trains cattle to respond to simple directional sound cues delivered through the collar, allowing farmers to guide and contain herds without physical fences. This technology is what makes virtual fencing and remote herd movement practical on the ground, forming the core intelligence that drives Halter’s effectiveness in everyday farm operations.
Scaling Virtual Fencing Adoption Across Continents
Halter currently works with more than 2,000 ranchers and farmers across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. The company has sold approximately one million solar-powered smart collars, which enable farmers to manage cattle through GPS-based virtual boundaries.
Since entering the U.S. market in 2024, ranchers using Halter’s system have established over 60,000 miles of virtual fencing, reflecting strong uptake in large-scale grazing systems. The company’s approach allows livestock to be guided using audio cues and gentle vibrations delivered through wearable collars, eliminating the need for physical fencing infrastructure.
Craig Piggott, CEO and founder of Halter, said the company was built on the belief that technology can redefine livestock farming and improve long-term sustainability for ranchers. He noted that the increasing adoption of Halter’s system signals strong trust from farmers, and the new funding will enable faster deployment across more operations globally.
Bridging the Digital Gap in Livestock Farming
Investors view Halter’s growth as part of a broader shift toward digitisation in agriculture, a sector that has historically lagged in technology adoption despite its economic scale.
Amin Mirzadegan, Partner at Founders Fund, highlighted that agriculture remains one of the least digitised industries globally, despite being central to food security. He emphasised that Halter’s integration of software, sensors, and artificial intelligence into livestock operations is driving real-world adoption, positioning the platform as a critical operational tool rather than a supplementary technology.
Expansion into New Markets and Product Innovation
The newly raised capital will be deployed to strengthen Halter’s commercial presence and field operations in its core markets the United States, New Zealand, and Australia while accelerating entry into new geographies.
The company plans to expand into Ireland and the United Kingdom later in 2026, with early-stage operations already underway in Canada. Further expansion across North and South America is also under consideration as part of its global growth strategy.
Alongside geographic expansion, Halter will continue investing in product development, particularly in areas such as animal health monitoring and pasture management. These enhancements are expected to be driven by real-time insights from farmers using the system in field conditions.
Building a Digital Operating System for Livestock Farms
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Auckland, Halter positions itself as an operating system for dairy and beef farms, enabling farmers to manage livestock, land, and resources through a unified digital platform. The company employs over 400 people across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, with new farms adopting the technology on a daily basis.
With fresh capital and strong investor backing, Halter is now poised to accelerate the global transition toward data-driven, infrastructure-light livestock management, potentially reshaping how ranching operations are run in the years ahead.
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