Founders Fund is known for backing transformative “zero to one” companies like Facebook and SpaceX. Its latest investment is Halter, a New Zealand startup that puts solar-powered smart collars on cows. Halter recently raised $220 million at a $2 billion valuation. The company solves a major problem: managing cattle across vast, remote terrain without traditional methods.
The collar system uses audio and vibration cues to create virtual fences, allowing farmers to herd cattle from an app. It also monitors animal health and fertility. Founder Craig Piggott, a former dairy farmer and Rocket Lab engineer, started Halter at age 21. After nine years, the collars are used on over a million cattle across New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S.
Halter boosts land productivity by up to 20% by optimizing grazing. While competitors like Merck’s Vence exist, Piggott believes the real challenge is farmer inertia. The company prioritizes strong financial returns for customers and is expanding globally. With a billion cattle worldwide, Halter sees massive growth potential despite having less than 10% penetration in its home market.