The team behind one of the first COVID-19 wastewater monitoring systems is now turning its disease-detection playbook on the global poultry market, which faces an urgent threat from avian influenza, or bird flu.
New York-based Barnwell Bio offers a metagenomic biosurveillance system designed to detect and track viruses, bacteria, parasites and other pathogens before they escalate into diseases that can devastate entire flocks.
“Consumers have higher demands for animal welfare, there is regulatory pressure and there are more disease challenges than ever before,” Barnwell Bio’s Michael Rhys told ImpactAlpha. “What we’re trying to do is give our customers a tool to help them navigate all of those different constraints and still maintain their livelihoods and businesses.”
Agrifood partners
The seed financing, backed by investors including Twelve Below, Planeteer Capital and the AgVentures Alliance, will help Barnwell’s expand in the US midwest and southeast with poultry producers and veterinarians.
“For vets managing dozens of barns, getting to the bottom of a disease issue can be a process of trial and error,” said Liz Beilke of West Liberty Foods, a farmer-owned poultry processing company in Iowa. “We’re guessing. That’s the frustrating part.”
Barnwell has secured partnerships with brands like Vital Farms, a publicly-traded B Corp and one of the largest “pasture-raised” egg producers in the US. The Austin-headquartered brand is facing consumer scrutiny and social-media backlash over accusations that its marketing misrepresents how its hens are raised and fed, including criticism of its reliance on corn and soy feed despite using premium pasture-raised labels.
Livestock monitoring
Barnwell’s founders said the move from COVID-19 waste monitoring to animal health was a natural fit, considering how rapidly the global livestock market is growing. The livestock monitoring market is projected to reach nearly $15 billion by 2033, up from $5.7 billion last year.
“We absolutely see ourselves as a solution across different livestock species, including cattle, dairy, aquaculture, where there are a lot of different problems disease-wise and health-wise,” said Rhys. “Our solution is flexible enough to address concerns across the board.”
Other investors in Barnwell’s seed round include Alumni Ventures, Max Ventures, Banter Capital, Daybreak Ventures and the Dorm Room Fund, a student-run venture fund designed to give MBA candidates hands-on investing experience.
