A conversation with Maria Jensen, co-founder of Antler Bio, helping dairy farmers identify and address factors limiting their herd’s full potential. What if cows could speak? Especially dairy cows. They would probably share not only the horrors of the dairy industry, but also stories of many dairy farmers who truly try their best to care for their animals and yet still fail. Their cows are neither healthy nor happy, their bank accounts look worse every year, and their mental health and marriages are shaky. Intensive dairy, unless you are massive, is a very difficult industry.
Yes, all dairy cows (and cows in general) should be, depending on the context, almost permanently outside. And yes, calves should stay with their mothers as long as possible if we are even going to start talking about regenerative dairy. But for many dairy farmers, this is still a distant pipe dream. We need to meet them where they are. If we don’t give them concrete tools now, they will never change and instead go out of business. And no, dairy won’t disappear any time soon. The market will just be absorbed by even bigger dairy cow factories, where cows never see grass or sunlight.
So how do we change this gridlock? By taking technology from the racehorse industry to let cows and herds speak: to share what’s missing, what could be improved. And, surprise, there is plenty of low-hanging fruit in improving dairy cows’ lives practically overnight from better minerals to more water points, and of course the holy grail: super-diverse pasture management.
This leads to healthier cows, fewer vet costs, and more milk. Importantly, it also points toward potentially healthier milk, and thus healthier people. It’s still too early to connect this directly to nutrient density and quality, but that’s the direction we’re headed.
We also touch upon much more: the risks of raising money from the wrong parties for such a disruptive technology, the fact that while animals and farmers win, input companies and pharmaceutical companies will likely lose. Suddenly it becomes clear which interventions work and which don’t.
And what about raising finance as a female founder? Surprise surprise—it’s not easy. Male investors, especially, waste a lot of your time.
Get ready for a conversation about disruptive tech, dairy farming margins, raising capital, and race horses.
This episode is made possible by our investment syndicate Generation Re, where we invest together with the community in early stage regenerative food and agriculture businesses like Antler Bio. Find out more on www.gen-re.land.
HOW A TECHNOLOGY ORIGINALLY USED IN THE RACE-HORSE INDUSTRY FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE DAIRY SPACE
Their core technology was initially developed and tested within the high-value race-horse industry. However, the global lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly halted all projects and funding in that sector, forcing a strategic shift to dairy farming, where the financial potential per animal also justified the cost of their service.
EpiHerd identifies hidden nutritional deficiencies, inflammation issues, and management problems that even the most dedicated farmers miss. The results are often surprising- pristine barns with mysterious mastitis problems, underperforming cows suffering from simple dehydration because dominant herd members block water access, and supplements that look good on paper but aren’t being properly absorbed.
For an industry facing financial pressure, mental health challenges, and environmental scrutiny, these practical improvements represent a lifeline. Perhaps most exciting is the emerging connection between soil health and animal performance. Farms focused on soil regeneration consistently show better metabolic profiles in their animals, supporting the regenerative agriculture hypothesis that healthier soil creates healthier animals and more nutritious food for humans.
“So, the technology started in horses. We were doing fantastic research… we were kind of going towards product development in the horse space… and then COVID hit, and that was a big crisis for us because obviously during COVID and the pandemic and the lockdown, no one was interested in racehorses at the time… It was a moment that accelerated the transition to another species… And I happened to have – it’s a combination of two things – I happened to have good connections in the dairy space in Finland… I had some people there I knew I could start to bounce the idea of transitioning this into the dairy space. And they also would have customer access. So, that makes it very tangible. Another thing is that the price of sequencing is still quite high; it’s dropped massively.” Maria Jensen
HOW IT IS TO RAISE FINANCE AS A FEMALE FOUNDER
Maria shares her personal experience of the fundraising process, highlighting a specific challenge she has faced as a female founder. She notes that while investors may be initially engaged and spend a lot of time in conversations, the process often drags on without a commitment, which she contrasts with her more direct experiences with female investors.
“I found that they look kind of down on you as a little girl. It’s hard to get things over the line. People in general listen, and maybe they listen even more hours to me because I’m female, but then they end up saying no in the end… whilst I feel like with male investors, things would drag on much longer and longer and longer and longer, and then you put them in the basket of, you know, ‘these are almost over the line’, and then they drop off. I’ve had that so many times.” María Jensen
OTHER POINTS DISCUSSED
Koen and María also talked about:
- Soil health impact
- Future expansion possibilities
- Data standardization challenges
LINKS:
LINKED INTERVIEWS:
- Fred Provenza – What should we learn from domesticated animals when it comes to food as medicine
- Farmers’ Philosophy series! Koen van Seijen in conversation with Anne van Leeuwen, regenerative farmer and co-owner of Bodemzicht Farm
- Koen van Seijen interviewed by Naeem Lakhani and Antony Yousefian on his journey in regenerative food and agriculture and the introduction of Generation-Re investment syndicate
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The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.