July 1, 2025 • 9 mins
The founder and chief executive of Ag Tech giant Halter comments on the New Zealand company revolutionising farming with its virtual fencing and animal management system, having raised $165 million in a fundraising round, now valuing Halter at $1.65 billion (US$1 billion).
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here is a young man who is setting the ag
tech world alight. In fact, I call him the Sir
Peter Beck of ag tech. His name is Craig Piggotty's
the chief executive of Halter. His company is now worth
an excess of one billion US dollars. Craig, you have
come a long way since twenty sixteen when you kicked
(00:21):
off Halter. Can you believe the speed at which your
company has grown?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Firstly, just thanks thanks for having me as always. Yes, definitely,
it's been a journey. We've come a long way, although.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I still feel like we've got, you know, so far
to go, so.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
And we try and we try to move as fast
as we can. So I guess that's it's all part
of it.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Well, I did, in respect really call you the sir
Peter Beck of ag Tech. And you've got a connection
because you started your career off with rocket Lab.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yes, yeah, before Holter, I was at rocket Lab and
I have, you know, a lot to bet for and
thankful for from Pete.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
He was my boss or rock Lab, and I learned
you know, so much there.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
And he's on the board of Holter and he was
one of our first investors and.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
He's had such big influence on us as well.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So he's he is awesome and I'm very grateful to Pete.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
You grew up on a three hundred cow dairy farm
and Madam Matter in the Whitecado region. Are your parents
or family still farming that property.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yes, my parents still farming today. They were the.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
First I guess you probably can't really call them a customer.
You know, they didn't have much of an option, but
they were the first farm to have holter and yeah,
they've been farming for twenty or maybe even thirty odd
years now.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Talk to me about Big Bird. Was this the first
cow that you trialed the halter collar technology on?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yes, she was the first cow we trained to respond
to sound and that we were using.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
She was able to kind of prove.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I guess that the concept was possible. That she was
a car on my parents' farm, and she literally was,
just for no particular reason, very big. She's one of
the tallest cars in the herd. And so you know,
in the beginning, when you're working with just very small numbers,
like on an individual basis, she was that kind of
(02:27):
at the center of that in terms of proving the
idea and then from that obviously were able to build
build the product and the rest of the company around that.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Of course it holds her as for those who are
unaware of what we're talking about. A solar powered smart
collar allows virtual fencing and of course health monitoring. Craig
Piggott was the one kind of Eureka moment when it
hits you the idea or was it a slow burner.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
It was definitely a slow burn and even today, like
you know, the product today is we say, the system
to run a past your farm and yes, there's you know,
there's colors on cows, and there's an app on the
farmer's phone and at the heart of that there's this
virtual fencing and shifting product. But in alongside of that
is all this kind of animal health and heat but
(03:14):
also pasture around like measuring grass and growth rates and
all the kind of inducts you need to run farms.
It's probably much more kins like an operating system, and
that's evolved a lot over time and it still is today,
like we are releasing new products and new features every
every few weeks, and so right at the beginning it
was a much simpler idea, I guess, and the goal
(03:35):
was just you know, how do you lift the productivity
of land? It's what every farmer effectively is trying to do,
and and we thought how you graize the land is
probably like the best first principle for that, and that
was really why we started with a color and virtual.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Fencing and so.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
But yeah, definitely has evolved over the years as the
teams grow and as you know, it's been really been
built by farmers, like farmers given us feedback things.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
So that you obviously faced many challenges as you pioneered
this technology over the years, things like calibration and battery life. Craig,
I can't get a mobile phone, that's the batteries any
good after about two years, So did you have issues
with battery life? With the collars for instance.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
We had, you know, countless Like we're trying to build
a product which no one has really done before, and
you know, we're like partnering with some of the best
farmers in the world, and it's pretty clear what the
outcomes are that we want and so then it's kind
of our job to go away and work out.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
How to do that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
And that does result in a lot of like very
hard challenges and so and still today, we're trying to
build new features and have more impact on the industry
and things of that, and some stuff's not technically feasible
and some stuff is and it's our job.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
To work out where that sits.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
And so keeping collars online over winter or from a
power perspective, and or how do you talk to the
devices when they, you know, kilometers away from a tower
or things like that. There's just countless, countless problems to solve,
and that's fine.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That's the business we're in.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Prag Pigot with us, chief executive of Halter. This was
initially set up for the dairy industry for dairy cows,
but you're very much moving into the beef industry as well,
and beef angus bulls angus beef cattle at the moments
are almost black gold. I put it to you that
there could be more potential in the beef industry than
(05:35):
the dairy industry. Is that the track you're heading down.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
We obviously our roots kind of started in dairy and
literally in the white out of where my parents.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Farmers, and and the plan.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Was always to do beef, like whether it's ranching overseas
or you know, shouldn't beef here. So I think the
like it was always a matter of when, not if,
and that is a function of like, I guess, the
mission we're on in terms of lifting the productivity of
the land around the world, and from an agriculture prestrictive
(06:09):
it's half the planets have all a mess obviously, a
mission to get out of bed FORO and and so yes,
I guess we were the plan was to do it.
We're pushing really hard into that at the moment. And
so the first principles of I guess are very similar
in a way. Right, We're trying to graze the land
better and do it in a way that lifts the
(06:30):
productivity of that land.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
And so yeah, we're excited by that.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It's been really neat opportunity to work with be farmers
around the world alongside of the Jerry farmers that you
know still are so so caugh to the system.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I'm going to go off peace here and go into
bat for the sheep farmers. Could there ever be a
halter collar for sheep? Or are they too dumb to train?
Or would the wall get on the way? Craig Piggot.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Never say never.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
We haven't done any work on sheep, and right now
we're still just very focused on cattle and cows. But
you know, maybe one day we try and work back
with I guess from this mission of land productivity and
so we'll see where that takes us.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
How many countries around the world does Holter actively in.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
We're in New Zealand, Australia in the US, So those
the three markets were really focused on right now, and
then obviously we will expand past that, but we've got
a handsful and fall in terms of trying to like
hire our teams in those countries. I think we've got
sixty odd roles open at the moment, and so we're
trying to hire as fast as we can. Cheeky plug
(07:37):
if you're if you're interested, But in terms of anyone listening,
but yeah, beyond the three countries then we will definitely
look to expand into you know, South America and Europe
and places like that.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
You recently raised one hundred and sixty five million dollars
in a fundraising round, which effectively now values Halter as
I see that US one billion dollars in New Zealand
money about one point six five billion dollars. Craig, how
much of that, how much of that belongs to you?
I note that your mentor, Sir Peter beckxworth nearly two billion.
(08:08):
You won't be doing too badly.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I think myself and the team, you know, we're in
a healthy spot in terms of in terms of Halter
and for us really the key thing though is, like
you know, we don't get out of bed worried about
all these numbers. Like we get out of bed to
build a product and have impact on an industry. And
that's the exciting part. So I think, you know, that's
(08:32):
the motivation and the purpose behind it all really, and
so yeah, beyond the numbers, the numbers only really matter
because they enable us to raise the money in the
first place, we do around like we have, and then
with that we can invest it into the features we're
building and the teams we hire on the front lines.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
And we can be more ambitious and move faster. So
I think that's the you know, that's the core of
it all.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well, you could never accuse of the accused, should I say,
of not being ambitious. Halter now in New Zealand's fastest
growing company on the Deloitte Fast fifty Index. Craig Piggots
are well done. You've done bloody well for yourself. Onwards
and upwards. You've got a challenge, Sir Peter Beck, your mentor.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Thank you, James
Here is a young man who is setting the ag
tech world alight. In fact, I call him the Sir
Peter Beck of ag tech. His name is Craig Piggotty's
the chief executive of Halter. His company is now worth
an excess of one billion US dollars. Craig, you have
come a long way since twenty sixteen when you kicked
(00:21):
off Halter. Can you believe the speed at which your
company has grown?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Firstly, just thanks thanks for having me as always. Yes, definitely,
it's been a journey. We've come a long way, although.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I still feel like we've got, you know, so far
to go, so.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
And we try and we try to move as fast
as we can. So I guess that's it's all part
of it.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Well, I did, in respect really call you the sir
Peter Beck of ag Tech. And you've got a connection
because you started your career off with rocket Lab.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yes, yeah, before Holter, I was at rocket Lab and
I have, you know, a lot to bet for and
thankful for from Pete.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
He was my boss or rock Lab, and I learned
you know, so much there.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
And he's on the board of Holter and he was
one of our first investors and.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
He's had such big influence on us as well.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So he's he is awesome and I'm very grateful to Pete.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
You grew up on a three hundred cow dairy farm
and Madam Matter in the Whitecado region. Are your parents
or family still farming that property.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yes, my parents still farming today. They were the.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
First I guess you probably can't really call them a customer.
You know, they didn't have much of an option, but
they were the first farm to have holter and yeah,
they've been farming for twenty or maybe even thirty odd
years now.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Talk to me about Big Bird. Was this the first
cow that you trialed the halter collar technology on?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yes, she was the first cow we trained to respond
to sound and that we were using.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
She was able to kind of prove.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I guess that the concept was possible. That she was
a car on my parents' farm, and she literally was,
just for no particular reason, very big. She's one of
the tallest cars in the herd. And so you know,
in the beginning, when you're working with just very small numbers,
like on an individual basis, she was that kind of
(02:27):
at the center of that in terms of proving the
idea and then from that obviously were able to build
build the product and the rest of the company around that.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Of course it holds her as for those who are
unaware of what we're talking about. A solar powered smart
collar allows virtual fencing and of course health monitoring. Craig
Piggott was the one kind of Eureka moment when it
hits you the idea or was it a slow burner.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
It was definitely a slow burn and even today, like
you know, the product today is we say, the system
to run a past your farm and yes, there's you know,
there's colors on cows, and there's an app on the
farmer's phone and at the heart of that there's this
virtual fencing and shifting product. But in alongside of that
is all this kind of animal health and heat but
(03:14):
also pasture around like measuring grass and growth rates and
all the kind of inducts you need to run farms.
It's probably much more kins like an operating system, and
that's evolved a lot over time and it still is today,
like we are releasing new products and new features every
every few weeks, and so right at the beginning it
was a much simpler idea, I guess, and the goal
(03:35):
was just you know, how do you lift the productivity
of land? It's what every farmer effectively is trying to do,
and and we thought how you graize the land is
probably like the best first principle for that, and that
was really why we started with a color and virtual.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Fencing and so.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
But yeah, definitely has evolved over the years as the
teams grow and as you know, it's been really been
built by farmers, like farmers given us feedback things.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
So that you obviously faced many challenges as you pioneered
this technology over the years, things like calibration and battery life. Craig,
I can't get a mobile phone, that's the batteries any
good after about two years, So did you have issues
with battery life? With the collars for instance.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
We had, you know, countless Like we're trying to build
a product which no one has really done before, and
you know, we're like partnering with some of the best
farmers in the world, and it's pretty clear what the
outcomes are that we want and so then it's kind
of our job to go away and work out.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
How to do that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
And that does result in a lot of like very
hard challenges and so and still today, we're trying to
build new features and have more impact on the industry
and things of that, and some stuff's not technically feasible
and some stuff is and it's our job.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
To work out where that sits.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
And so keeping collars online over winter or from a
power perspective, and or how do you talk to the
devices when they, you know, kilometers away from a tower
or things like that. There's just countless, countless problems to solve,
and that's fine.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That's the business we're in.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Prag Pigot with us, chief executive of Halter. This was
initially set up for the dairy industry for dairy cows,
but you're very much moving into the beef industry as well,
and beef angus bulls angus beef cattle at the moments
are almost black gold. I put it to you that
there could be more potential in the beef industry than
(05:35):
the dairy industry. Is that the track you're heading down.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
We obviously our roots kind of started in dairy and
literally in the white out of where my parents.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Farmers, and and the plan.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Was always to do beef, like whether it's ranching overseas
or you know, shouldn't beef here. So I think the
like it was always a matter of when, not if,
and that is a function of like, I guess, the
mission we're on in terms of lifting the productivity of
the land around the world, and from an agriculture prestrictive
(06:09):
it's half the planets have all a mess obviously, a
mission to get out of bed FORO and and so yes,
I guess we were the plan was to do it.
We're pushing really hard into that at the moment. And
so the first principles of I guess are very similar
in a way. Right, We're trying to graze the land
better and do it in a way that lifts the
(06:30):
productivity of that land.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
And so yeah, we're excited by that.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It's been really neat opportunity to work with be farmers
around the world alongside of the Jerry farmers that you
know still are so so caugh to the system.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I'm going to go off peace here and go into
bat for the sheep farmers. Could there ever be a
halter collar for sheep? Or are they too dumb to train?
Or would the wall get on the way? Craig Piggot.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Never say never.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
We haven't done any work on sheep, and right now
we're still just very focused on cattle and cows. But
you know, maybe one day we try and work back
with I guess from this mission of land productivity and
so we'll see where that takes us.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
How many countries around the world does Holter actively in.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
We're in New Zealand, Australia in the US, So those
the three markets were really focused on right now, and
then obviously we will expand past that, but we've got
a handsful and fall in terms of trying to like
hire our teams in those countries. I think we've got
sixty odd roles open at the moment, and so we're
trying to hire as fast as we can. Cheeky plug
(07:37):
if you're if you're interested, But in terms of anyone listening,
but yeah, beyond the three countries then we will definitely
look to expand into you know, South America and Europe
and places like that.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
You recently raised one hundred and sixty five million dollars
in a fundraising round, which effectively now values Halter as
I see that US one billion dollars in New Zealand
money about one point six five billion dollars. Craig, how
much of that, how much of that belongs to you?
I note that your mentor, Sir Peter beckxworth nearly two billion.
(08:08):
You won't be doing too badly.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I think myself and the team, you know, we're in
a healthy spot in terms of in terms of Halter
and for us really the key thing though is, like
you know, we don't get out of bed worried about
all these numbers. Like we get out of bed to
build a product and have impact on an industry. And
that's the exciting part. So I think, you know, that's
(08:32):
the motivation and the purpose behind it all really, and
so yeah, beyond the numbers, the numbers only really matter
because they enable us to raise the money in the
first place, we do around like we have, and then
with that we can invest it into the features we're
building and the teams we hire on the front lines.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
And we can be more ambitious and move faster. So
I think that's the you know, that's the core of
it all.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well, you could never accuse of the accused, should I say,
of not being ambitious. Halter now in New Zealand's fastest
growing company on the Deloitte Fast fifty Index. Craig Piggots
are well done. You've done bloody well for yourself. Onwards
and upwards. You've got a challenge, Sir Peter Beck, your mentor.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Thank you, James
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