Number 8 Bio secures $11 million to accelerate global methane-reducing livestock solutions

Australian ag tech company Number 8 Bio has secured $11 million Series A funding to accelerate the commercialisation of its methane-reducing livestock feed product, BetterFeed, proving that methane mitigation is an investable and commercially ready global opportunity.

The round was led by Icehouse Ventures, the New Zealand venture capital firm also behind agtech unicorn Halter, with follow-on investment from Main Sequence Ventures, which led Number 8 Bio’s Seed round, and new participation from ONE Innovators, a Japanese venture capital firm specialising in carbon neutrality.

Main Sequence Partner Gabrielle Munzer said the firm’s continued investment reflects confidence in Number 8 Bio’s ability to bridge scientific innovation and on-farm adoption.

“The company has proven it can deliver a methane reduction solution that’s not only scalable and economically sound, but ready for commercialisation now,” she said.

Speaking on the investment, Icehouse Ventures Principal Mason Bleakley said, “Methane reduction is the holy grail problem to solve as a startup, but most efforts fail at the first hurdle: making a business model that works. When I met Tom, it was clear that Number 8 Bio was a startup with the economics figured out.

“The farm has become ground zero for so much of the climate-change debate here in New Zealand, and finding common ground is never easy. By both increasing yields for farmers at the front end, and reducing emissions on the back end, Number 8 Bio proves that profit and the planet can co-exist.”

This raise will fund large-scale animal trials, regulatory approvals for expansion into New Zealand, Europe, and the United States, and the rollout of a carbon-insetting program enabling farmers and supply chains to claim verified emissions reductions. It will also support commercial readiness for the BetterFeed range, which includes a feed additive and a slow-release capsule designed to last up to six months, unlocking adoption across the grazing systems where the vast majority of livestock spend their lives.

“Enteric methane is one of agriculture’s most stubborn challenges, short-lived in the atmosphere but more than 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” said Dr Tom Williams, Co-Founder and CEO.

“Every burp represents lost nutrition. Up to 12 per cent of what farmers feed their animals is literally disappearing into the air. That’s inefficiency, and inefficiency is exactly where innovation should start.”

Unlike existing seaweed or bromoform-based products, BetterFeed utilises a proprietary organic small molecule that can be manufactured in Australia using green chemistry to achieve greater cost-effectiveness and scalability in commercial agriculture. Independent trials have demonstrated up to 90 per cent methane reduction and improved rumen fermentation.

“We’ve built this in close collaboration with producers and research groups across Australia,” Dr Williams said.

“What sets us apart is our platform technology that models the rumen and allows us to rapidly find and screen products. Our scientists move from lab to animal trials and back again in weeks, not years. We learn fast, adjust quickly and stay grounded in what actually works on-farm. That’s what makes this a real-world solution, not theoretical science.”

Number 8 Bio is working with leading research partners, including the University of New England, AgVic, the Queensland Animal Sciences Precinct, the University of Sydney and EpiVets to validate and scale its results. Patents are now being finalised, and large-scale commercial trials are planned ahead of Australian market entry in 2026.

Dr Williams said the funding demonstrates a strong global intent to back practical, proven climate solutions. “This raise shows serious international belief in what’s being built here in Australia. Capital is moving toward innovations that deliver measurable impact and commercial return, and that’s exactly where BetterFeed sits.”

Japan imports more than 247,000 tonnes of Australian beef annually, making it Australia’s second-largest beef export market. Reducing emissions embedded in this trade could materially support Japan’s Scope 3 decarbonisation targets, while also paving the way for domestic methane abatement through the adoption of BetterFeed within Japan’s own livestock sector.

“Honestly speaking, the Japanese market is still in the early stages when it comes to enteric methane emission abatement,” said Murakami Teruyoshi, General Partner at One Innovators.

“But we see enormous potential. The opportunity is not only in importing lower-emission beef from Australia with carbon offset or inset in Japan, but also in applying BetterFeed within Japan to reduce domestic emissions in the future. That dual approach represents meaningful climate action and commercial opportunity.”