BOVOTICA

Bovotica is an Australian agtech company spun out of the Queensland University of an Technology (QUT) in 2023, focused on reducing methane emissions from cattle while improving production efficiency. The company was founded by CEO Dr. Andrew Leech, Professor Gene Tyson, and Professor Phil Pope, all from QUT's Centre for Microbiome Research. Dr. Leech demonstrated significant personal commitment to the venture, including selling his house to provide early funding for the company. Bovotica has secured AUD $3.4 million in a seed funding round with investors including AgriZeroNZ, InnovationClub, Lord Pastoral, Melt Ventures, and SparkLabs Group.

The company's core technology is a synbiotic feed supplement, a proprietary blend of prebiotics and probiotics, designed to modulate the microbiome in a cow's rumen. The technology works by introducing naturally occurring, hydrogen-metabolizing bacteria into the rumen. These probiotics outcompete methanogens for hydrogen, thereby reducing the amount of methane produced. The captured hydrogen is then converted into short-chain fatty acids, which serve as an efficient energy source for the cattle. This dual-action approach not only targets a reduction in methane emissions by up to 50%, but also aims to improve the metabolic efficiency of the animals, leading to increased meat and milk production. It is estimated that up to 12% of a cow's feed intake is otherwise lost to methane production.

Bovotica is developing two primary products to serve both intensive and extensive agricultural markets: a feed supplement that can be blended into feed for dairy cows and a long-lasting oral drench for grass-fed beef and dairy cattle. The company's business model centers on providing direct financial benefits to farmers through increased weight gain and milk production, as well as the potential to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for verified methane reduction. To support its research and development, Bovotica is collaborating with Australian Country Choice (ACC), a major beef processor, to build a biobank of rumen bacteria and conduct in-vitro testing. The startup has also participated in accelerator programs like SparkLabs Cultiv8 and Farmers2Founders to increase industry awareness.

Keywords: methane reduction, cattle emissions, livestock supplement, rumen microbiome, agtech, symbiotic technology, probiotics for cattle, prebiotic feed additive, sustainable agriculture, climate tech, animal nutrition, beef production efficiency, dairy efficiency, carbon credits, microbiome modulation, Australian agriculture, QUT spinout, Andrew Leech, Gene Tyson, Phil Pope