Fulcrum herds oversubscribed $13.2M round for KC cattle tech startup with KCRise Fund, iiM in the corral
September 28, 2021 | Startland News Staff
A Kansas City-based precision livestock company will use its fresh Series A funding harvest to accelerate genetic progress and sustainably deliver more protein with fewer inputs, its top executive announced Tuesday.
Kerryann Kocher, Vytelle
“Our mission is clear, and we are grateful for the support of our investors who join us on our journey to ensure meat and milk are viable food choices for future generations,” said Kerryann Kocher, CEO of Vytelle.
The cattle tech startup announced Tuesday an oversubscribed funding round worth $13.2 million — co-led by Overland Park-based Ag-tech venture-based Fulcrum Global Capital and the private equity firm Open Prairie, through the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund. The financing also included participation from Kansas City’s KCRise Fund II and Innovation In Motion, Illinois-based Serra Ventures, and existing investor UK-based Wheatsheaf Group.
Vytelle’s platform — combining a breakthrough in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, an animal performance data capture system, and an artificial intelligence based genetic analytics engine — provides progressive cattle producers the technology to multiply the impact of elite livestock productivity and profitability. It’s seen rapid growth since its launch in 2020, currently serving cattle producers in 21 countries.
Click here to learn more about Vytelle.
“Vytelle’s ability to scale globally is a game changer for the cattle industry to produce a more efficient and sustainable global cattle herd,” explained Duane Cantrell, CEO of Fulcrum Global Capital — a firm especially interested in companies with technologies and approaches which increases yields, reduces food waste, and/or makes food safer and more transparent.
Click here to explore Fulcrum’s other portfolio companies.
Kerryann Kocher, Vytelle
The funding reflects Vytelle’s aggressive expansion strategy, which includes propelling the platform’s IVF offering to strategic markets worldwide and investment in new ways to create more predictable genetic selections for global cattle operations, the company said.
“We’ve been searching for another agtech investment in the KC region with a large addressable market, proven traction, seasoned agriculture investors and experienced team,” Darcy Howe, founder and managing director of KCRise Fund. “Kerryann and her team, board and investors exceed every measure and we are excited that our KC-based investors will be a part of this global/local growth story.”
Click here to learn more about KCRise Fund’s portfolio.
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
Featured Business
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Kansas Citians preparing for plethora of pitch competitions
A staple of early-stage business — the elevator pitch — will be on full display for the Kansas City community in coming weeks. Entrepreneurs from around the metro area have several upcoming opportunities to pitch their businesses or to hear other innovators deliver spiels on their firms. Here are few of those events. The University of Kansas’…
Royals, entrepreneurial stars fielding pitches from Kansas City educators
Children today require more than just a pencil and paper to complete their lesson plan. Thanks to a booming education technology market, teachers’ out-of-pocket spending goes far beyond the occasional pen, pencil or box of tissues nowadays. In 2013, teachers spent $1.6 billion annually to support their classroom. To alleviate the climbing prices of basic…
FCC commissioner Ajit Pai’s six strategic steps to close the digital divide
In his second visit to Kansas City within the last six months, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Ajit Pai stopped by Think Big Tuesday as part of his fight to close the digital divide. Growing up in a small Kansas town three hours south of the metro, Pai said he’s familiar with the energy and vitality…
New regulations yield opportunity for animal feed tech startup
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. Growing up, Gretchen Henry’s family farmed cotton in Southeast Missouri. Although most are familiar with the white, pillowy substance we find in our clothes, use to wash our face or clean our ears, animals also eat it. Livestock feed features many…