Renatus makes investment in Tipperary's Herdwatch

Staff from the Tipperary-headquartered Herdwatch, at the 2022 National Ploughing Championships.

Tipperary agri-tech firm Herdwatch has secured a significant, multi-million euro investment from private equity company Renatus Capital Partners.

Founding members FRS Network (Farm Relief Services) and Herdwatch's co-founder and CEO Fabien Peyaud will remain significant shareholders.

Headquartered in Roscrea, Herdwatch is a livestock management platform used on over 18,000 farms in Ireland and the UK, making it the number one farm management software in those markets. The platform digitalises and streamlines livestock farming, helping farmers in Ireland and the UK save time, eliminate paperwork, and make better decisions in their farming operations.

The app saves farmers an average of three hours a week on paperwork, according to a recent member survey by the company, which received over 1,600 responses.

Earlier this year, Herdwatch launched Flockwatch, a new platform that helps sheep farmers track ewe and flock performance and streamline compliance reporting. The company is planning to launch Flockwatch in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia in the near future.

The company currently has a team of 60 people and plans to increase this to 80 over the next two years to support its international growth and farm digitalisation efforts.  Herdwatch CEO and co-founder Fabien Peyaud said:

We are extremely proud of our achievements to date, but there is so much more we can do to help farmers across the world. We have the ambition, fantastic people on the team, and now the balance sheet to match. This is the start of an exciting new chapter in the Herdwatch story.

"I am very grateful to Mark Flood and his team for backing us, and for helping us buck the trend in a difficult climate for tech companies."

Earlier this year, Renatus made a seven-figure investment in Cork manufacturing firm Rollforming which produces roofing and cladding products. Founded by Liam and Dolores O’Sullivan, the company operates from a purpose-built 80,000sq ft premises in Bweeng in North Cork.

Renatus has invested in a range of Irish and UK firms including Tipperary Crystal, Rennicks, and CRS cold storage. It also funded the management buyout of Boojum burrito food chain by its current directors from the founding shareholders. This is Renatus’ ninth investment and its sixth from its second fund.