Wheatsheaf Group, the international investor in food and agriculture businesses, has contributed to a Series A funding round worth US$13.2m in Vytelle, a precision livestock company, which was announced today (28 Sept), helping to accelerate genetic progress in cattle. 

The funding was co-led by private equity firm Open Prairie, through the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, and Kansas-based Ag-tech VC, Fulcrum Global Capital. As well as existing investor Wheatsheaf Group, the financing also included participation from new Midwest investors Serra Ventures, Innovation In Motion, and KCRise. 

Vytelle's integrated technology platform combines Vytelle ADVANCE, a breakthrough in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, with Vytelle SENSE, an animal performance data capture system, and Vytelle INSIGHT, an artificial intelligence based genetic analytics engine. The platform provides progressive cattle producers the technology to multiply the impact of elite livestock productivity and profitability, sustainably delivering more protein with fewer inputs. Vytelle’s integrated platform has seen rapid growth since its launch in 2020, currently serving cattle producers in 21 countries. 

Kerryann Kocher, CEO, Vytelle, said: “Our mission is clear and we are grateful for the support of our investors who join us on our journey to ensure meat and milk are viable food choices for future generations.” 

The funding reflects the aggressive expansion strategy of the Kansas City, Missouri, U.S, based company. The strategy includes propelling the IVF offering of Vytelle ADVANCE to strategic markets worldwide and investment in new ways to create more predictable genetic selections for global cattle operations.