Mootral

Mootral, a Swiss-British agricultural technology firm, is tackling the significant environmental impact of livestock. Founded in 2018 by Thomas Hafner and Chris Kantrowitz, the company emerged from a scientific project that began in 2016 with the goal of making animal farming a climate solution. Hafner, a serial entrepreneur in life sciences, and Kantrowitz, an experienced startup founder, guide the company, with Isabelle Botticelli recently appointed as interim CEO to drive commercialization. Initially established in Switzerland, Mootral redomiciled to the UK, setting up its R&D and production in Wales, where the original technology was developed by Neem Biotech.

The core of Mootral's business is a natural feed supplement for ruminant animals like cattle, which significantly reduces their methane emissions—a greenhouse gas over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. The product, now marketed as Enterix™, is a proprietary blend of garlic powder and citrus extracts. This combination alters the rumen microbiome to lower methane production by up to 38% in commercial farm settings, depending on the breed and conditions. Beyond its climate benefits, the supplement has been shown to improve animal health by reducing instances of mastitis and milk fever, deterring flies, and increasing milk yields by between 3.3% and 17.8%.

Mootral operates a multi-faceted business model. The company does not primarily sell its supplement directly to individual farmers. Instead, it targets downstream players in the value chain, such as dairy and beef processors, retailers, and restaurant chains, who are seeking to decarbonize their supply chains and offer climate-friendly products. A pivotal component of its strategy is the creation of "CowCredits." These are carbon credits generated from the verified reduction in methane emissions, which can then be sold on the voluntary carbon market to companies looking to offset their own emissions. This mechanism helps co-finance the cost of the supplement, making it more economically viable for farmers and creating an additional revenue stream. In December 2019, the standard-setter Verra approved Mootral's methodology, marking a world-first for generating carbon credits from livestock methane reduction. The company has secured significant funding from climate-focused investors, including King Philanthropies, Lowercarbon Capital, and Climate Capital. Keywords: methane reduction, feed supplement, agritech, carbon credits, livestock farming, sustainable agriculture, climate tech, garlic extract, citrus extract, ruminant nutrition, CowCredits, enteric fermentation, animal health, dairy industry, beef industry, supply chain decarbonization, climate solutions, low-methane dairy, sustainable beef, farm emissions