Monil

Monil AS, an agritech company established in Norway in 2022, is focused on automating animal care to support the global transition to sustainable agriculture. The company was founded by a team of engineers with backgrounds from technology firms such as Prox Dynamics/Teledyne FLIR, Energy Micro/Silicon Labs, and Cognite. This founding group includes Torstein Nesse, Geir Morten Mellem, Erik Falk-Petersen, Ottar Røed, Rasmus Larsen, and Mikael Berg. The firm's core business revolves around a virtual fencing system designed for livestock, primarily cattle farmers.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer (B2C) model, providing hardware and a corresponding software platform to farmers. The product consists of a lightweight, solar-powered smart collar worn by each animal and a mobile application for the farmer. Through the app, farmers can define, adjust, and monitor virtual boundaries for their herds in real-time. If an animal approaches the virtual fence, the collar emits a sequence of audio cues. If it continues and crosses the boundary, it receives a mild electric pulse, conditioning the herd to respond to the sound alone over time. This functionality eliminates the need for physical fences, which is particularly beneficial in rough terrain or for managing rotational and strip grazing. The system saves farmers significant time and labor, with one user reporting savings of 6 to 8 hours per week on fencing tasks.

Beyond containment, the technology serves as a comprehensive herd management tool. It provides real-time GPS tracking of each animal's location, monitors activity levels, and can send alerts for unusual events, which aids in overseeing animal health and well-being. Monil's revenue is generated from the sale of these smart collars and likely involves a subscription or service fee for access to the mobile app and its features. The company emphasizes the return on investment for farmers through reduced feed costs, optimized pasture utilization, and decreased labor. Monil manufactures its collars in Norway in partnership with Hapro Electronics, ensuring quality control and affordability. The company is in its seed funding stage and has received support from investors like Firda and Innovation Norway. Keywords: virtual fencing, livestock management, agritech, cattle farming, grazing management, precision agriculture, smart collar, herd monitoring, rotational grazing, animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, GPS tracking, pasture optimization, B2C agritech, Norwegian startup, farm technology, livestock tracking, strip grazing, digital shepherd, animal containment