An Auckland agtech that can give an instant estimate on cattle weight using a 3D scanner on your phone has raised NZ$1.1 million (A$920,000).
The round for Scanabull was led by Sprout Agritech, supported by Enterprise Angels and Callaghan Innovation’s Deep Tech Incubator program. The startup is a Sprout Accelerator alumnus.
Founded in April 2024 by Dan Bull – yes, there’s a touch of nominative determinism in his startup – Scanabull’s computer-vision platform that allows meat processors and farmers to determine the live weight of cattle in a second using the LiDAR sensor on an iPhone. His cofounders Paul Sealock (founding engineer), Daniel Stuart-Jones (CTO), and Ursula Haywood (CCO) bring experience in AI and veterinary science to the paddock.
The startup is already working with industry partners including Silver Fern Farms, with trials and demonstrations underway across New Zealand and is now looking to the Australian market and other major beef-producing regions by year-end.
The funding will also support further development of Scanabull’s AI models, additional data collection and a broader commercial rollout.
Unlike dairy farming, where real-time data is used to manage production, the beef industry largely relies on “guesstimation” when assessing livestock weight.
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Bull grew up on a farm and spent several years managing livestock, said a lack of accurate data creates costly inefficiencies across the supply chain.
“Many animals are bought and sold based on visual estimates rather than objective measurements. When those estimates are wrong, it can result in significant financial differences for farmers, traders and processors,” he said.
“Our goal is to give the beef industry a fast, reliable way to understand what’s actually happening with their animals in real time.”
Scanabull’s first product, WeighApp, enables farmers, stock agents and veterinarians to scan animals directly in yards, pens or near farm gates using their smartphone.
Smartphone weighing
The tech has been trained using over 100,000 animal data points, and will continuously improve as more livestock scans are captured.
Bull sees use for the tech beyond the farm gate, including at abattoirs.
“Processors often have very little reliable data about animals before they arrive at the plant,” he said.
“Improving weight visibility earlier in the supply chain can help reduce inefficiencies and even improve relationships between farmers and buyers.”
Sprout Agritech investment manager Crispin Dye said it’s a powerful example of how deep tech can transform traditional industries.
“Technologies that bring reliable data into agricultural supply chains have enormous potentia,” he said.
“Scanabull’s use of computer vision and on-device AI opens up new possibilities for livestock management and supply chain transparency.
Scanabull in action