Micron Agritech, the Dublin-based agricultural technology company, has raised €2.7 million in funding co-led by ACT VC, Atlantic Bridge and Yield Lab Europe, positioning itself for further expansion in both the Irish and UK markets.
With a cumulative funding of €5 million to date, the spin-out from TU Dublin is dedicated to revolutionising rapid animal health testing through the innovative use of AI technology in its Micron Kit.
Founded by Daniel Izquierdo, Tara McElligott, and Sean Smith in 2019, the Micron Kit allows vets to conduct on-site, rapid parasite testing on animals using their mobile phones, delivering results in minutes.
The platform’s core mission is to combat the increased resistance to anti-parasiticides and reduce the unnecessary reliance on worm treatments by the agriculture sector, as a whole.
Micron Agritech has stated that it is “also keen to protect the limited medicinal arsenal currently in place to combat these diseases while monitoring the prevalence of resistance on farms in Ireland and the UK”.
The team believes this approach will drastically reduce the time, cost and resources expended on dosing methodologies while amplifying farm efficiency through the strategic deployment of AI technology.
Currently, it can take up to five days to receive the results of laboratory tests confirming the presence or absence of internal parasites, prompting many farmers to administer treatments without conducting prior testing, many choosing to give a blanket ‘dose’ to the herd.
This practice has contributed significantly to complications such as anthelmintic resistance – already rendering some modern medications useless – which is a major cause of concern for the European Union and the UK alike.
Its goal is to make its platform accessible to vets across the globe, starting with penetration across the Irish and UK markets, which will combat the build-up of medication resistance, while giving farmers and vets tools to monitor animal health, and improve the lives of their animals while increasing productivity.
TASAH
A recent report from the IFA Animal Health Council in July has highlighted the need for additional support for farmers in relation to parasite control.
Internal parasites remain a prominent health issue among grazing animals, contributing to a 33% increase in agricultural emissions and reduced animal yields.
While some financial support is accessible through the TASAH Parasite Control programme, Micron Agritech, suitable for use with the TASAH scheme, holds the potential to alleviate the challenges associated with parasite management and the build-up of resistance currently confronting the animal health sector, the company added.
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