Terry Canning. Image: CattleEye
AI-powered video analytics start-up CattleEye is in a field of its own having won the Irish leg of KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator Competition.
Belfast-based tech start-up CattleEye has won the top prize at the inaugural Ireland qualifier of KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator competition.
CattleEye uses AI-powered video analytics to keep an eye on cows, and recently raised $2.5m in seed funding to commercially launch its tech.
It will now progress to the final of KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator competition, which will be held at Web Summit in Lisbon this November. CattleEye will compete against finalists from 17 other countries including the US, UK, South Africa, Brazil, Germany, India and Spain.
The start-up’s CEO, Terry Canning, said he was delighted to win the award and to progress to the final at Web Summit, where he would be “very proud to represent the country”.
“Our technology platform provides a completely new way of monitoring and gaining insights on dairy cows,” Canning added.
“Through machine learning, the platform can alert farmers to problems before they’re aware of them, by walking cattle under a security camera that uses a number of neural networks, enabling them to intervene. This will improve the lives of animals, while allowing farmers to become more efficient and reduce carbon emissions.”
Canning’s prize also includes travel and accommodation to Lisbon, tickets to the Web Summit as part of KPMG’s delegation, an exhibition stand for one day, and access to exclusive networking events and mentoring opportunities.
Anna Scally, partner and tech sector lead at KPMG Ireland, said: “Irish tech companies are amongst the best and most innovative in the world, while our agricultural sector is renowned the world over.
“CattleEye has progressed to the global finals after demonstrating the impact of their disruptive technology to the market, while also highlighting very exciting plans and growth ambitions. I’d like to congratulate them and wish them all the best as they go on to represent Ireland.”
The agritech company beat seven other Irish start-ups that were shortlisted from 50 entrants.
Competition included health-tech business Akkure Genomics, bee-focused start-up ApisProtect, Galway transport-tech company CitySwift, Dublin-based data privacy firm Dataships, University College Dublin spin-out Equal1, SaaS verification start-up ID-Pal, and employee engagement tech company Wrkit.
The judging panel was comprised of figures from tech and entrepreneurship, including Gareth Lambe, head of Facebook Ireland; Nicola McClafferty, partner at Draper Esprit; serial entrepreneur Mark Cummins, Fiona Gallagher, CEO of Wells Fargo International Bank UC; and managing partner of KPMG in Ireland, Seamus Hand.
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