Solar-Powered Smart Collars Transform Cattle Management

Founders Fund, known for backing disruptive ventures, continues investing in unconventional ideas, most recently supporting a New Zealand startup developing solar-powered smart collars for cattle management.

Halter has successfully raised $220 million in a funding round that boosted its valuation to around $2 billion, led by Founders Fund.

Although the project is not part of advanced AI or robotics, it addresses a key agricultural challenge: managing livestock across vast remote areas without relying on traditional methods.

The system uses solar-powered collars connected to low-frequency towers and a mobile app, enabling farmers to monitor and control cattle remotely.

It allows the creation of virtual fences, with cows learning to respond to sound and vibration signals emitted by the collars.

Beyond control, the technology collects detailed behavioral and health data, improving productivity and enabling early disease detection.