BREAKTHROUGH VICTORIA INVESTS IN GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY THAT REDUCES LIVESTOCK METHANE EMISSIONS
Breakthrough Victoria is investing $1.7 million in Number 8 Bio, a leading innovator in sustainable agriculture technologies, joining a round led by Main Sequence Ventures and including The March Group.
This investment marks a major step forward in the fight against climate change and the drive toward more efficient food production.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a significant contributor to global warming, with livestock responsible for up to 15 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
These emissions from ruminants, such as cattle and sheep, are particularly concerning. Over a 20-year period, they are 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
To combat this, Number 8 Bio has developed a groundbreaking technology known as "Performance Digestion". Number 8 Bio's BetterFeed products are feed additives for cattle that reduce methane emissions by up to 90 per cent while improving feed efficiency.
In addition to reducing methane emissions, Performance Digestion also increases the productivity of livestock. The feed supplements will contain productivity modifiers that redirect the animal’s metabolic pathways towards growth-promoting compounds. This dual-action approach not only helps the environment but also optimises the animal’s energy use, leading to increased production of meat, milk, and wool.
As the global population grows, the demand for meat and dairy products is expected to rise, further straining our planet’s resources. Number 8 Bio is leading the way in making livestock farming more sustainable. Alongside the production of methane-inhibiting feed additives, the company is also exploring ways to expand its core technology to enhance the profitability of fermentation processes.
They are testing how they can replicate the low-methane fermentation process that occurs inside a cow's stomach in anaerobic digesters, with the aim to make fermentation significantly cheaper and produce a range of carbon-negative food ingredients.
As part of the investment by Breakthrough Victoria, Number 8 Bio plans to run trials with Agriculture Victoria at Ellinbank SmartFarm and has made a commitment to a research collaboration with Monash University. A proposed regional Victorian manufacturing facility post Series A funding is anticipated to create over eight skilled FTEs by 2026.
Quotes attributable to Breakthrough Victoria CEO, Grant Dooley
"Our $1.7 million investment in Number 8 Bio reflects our commitment to sustainable innovation. Their 'Performance Digestion' technology tackles the critical challenge of reducing livestock methane emissions while boosting productivity. We're excited to support this groundbreaking solution, alongside Main Sequence, The March Group, and others, as we drive toward a more efficient and sustainable future in food production."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Economic Growth, Tim Pallas
“By investing in sustainable agriculture, we are creating more jobs in regional Victoria while also reducing our emissions.
“We know that by supporting innovation in sectors like sustainable agriculture we create more jobs in the regions - not just the inner city.”
Quotes attributable to Dr Tom Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Number 8 bio
“We are grateful to have Breakthrough Victoria’s support on our mission to reduce methane emissions in agriculture. This funding will play a pivotal role in accelerating our product development, scaling up our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, and helping us forge key commercial partnerships critical to our growth and success in the market.
“To feed a rapidly growing population on a warming planet, there have to be multiple solutions, we all need to do our part. At Number 8 Bio, we’re changing feed to feed positive change, helping farmers grow the food we love, without the emissions.”
Quotes attributable to Dr Alex Carpenter, CSO and Co-Founder of Number 8 bio
“We see methane abatement as an exciting opportunity - for farmers, animals, and the planet. Our core focus is creating practical, cost-effective solutions that benefit farmers directly. This is why we’ve been committed to designing our product alongside farmers to best suit all conditions, ensuring it makes both financial and sustainability sense to decarbonise.
“Our unique approach promises not only to reduce rumen emissions by up to 90% but also to enhance rumen productivity. Thanks to Breakthrough Victoria and our other investment partners we are able to continue to turn this mission into reality and help Australia transition to carbon-neutral food production."
Quotes attributable to Dr Harold Schmitz, Founder Partner, The March Group
“We are thrilled to participate in Number 8 bio’s Seed financing as they tackle the immediate mission critical challenge of methane emissions in the livestock sector -- with a vision to break the cost barrier for carbon-negative food ingredients in the future.
This investment aligns with TMG’s commitment to backing world-class domain experts and exponential platform technologies in search of double bottom line outcomes.”
Quotes attributable to Gabrielle Munzer, Partner at Main Sequence.
“Number 8 Bio is an investment that was many years in the making, having looked across the sector to find the most impactful and market-aligned ways to tackle the urgent problem of agricultural emissions. Our continued support of Number 8 Bio through this seed round is a testament to the company’s important work and impressive progress since our initial investment in 2022.
“Methane mitigation is critical to protect our planet, and Tom, Alex, and the whole team at Number 8 Bio have made great strides with their well-advanced trials. As we confront the urgent need for climate action, Number 8 Bio stands at the forefront of developing practical, scalable solutions that can significantly decarbonise agriculture, with a first focus on reducing methane emissions from livestock.”