In the bustling metropolis of Bangalore, known as India’s Silicon Valley, a revolutionary startup is making waves in the agricultural sector. FaunaTech, co-founded by Sidhant Jena and Rajat Pandya, is on a mission to transform the way dairy farmers diagnose and manage bovine health issues, starting with the pervasive problem of mastitis. This condition, which is an infection of the cow’s udder, not only leads to decreased milk yield and increased treatment costs but also necessitates the use of antibiotics, contributing to the growing concern over antibiotic resistance.
The inception of FaunaTech was inspired by the human diagnostics field. Jena, who had previously co-founded Jana Care—a company that developed a mobile diagnostic platform for human health—realized the potential for a similar technology in the animal health space. This realization came into sharp focus during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when the importance of efficient testing and tracing became abundantly clear. Drawing parallels between human and animal diagnostics, FaunaTech has set out to provide a solution that can detect mastitis at its subclinical stage, before visible symptoms appear and the damage becomes irreparable.
According to CEO Rajat Pandya, the California mastitis test, a common method used by farmers, falls short in accuracy, especially for subclinical cases. This subjective test often leads to high false-negative results, leaving farmers to discover the infection when somatic cell count (SCC) values—which indicate infection—are already alarmingly high. With the threshold for good quality milk being below 200,000 SCC, the need for early detection is critical, ideally between 300,000 to 700,000 SCC.
FaunaTech’s innovation lies in its patented portable device that pairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth. This device, combined with test strips that change color when exposed to fresh milk, delivers highly accurate SCC readings within two minutes. The accompanying smartphone application not only provides quantitative results but also offers guidance on subsequent treatment steps. This technology promises to decrease mastitis cases by early detection, increase milk production by minimizing the time cows are out of the milk supply, and reduce antibiotic use.
The implications of such a technology are vast. For small-scale dairy farmers in India, where the market is notably unorganized, the ability to detect and treat mastitis early could mean significant savings in veterinary costs and a reduction in milk production losses. FaunaTech’s business model, likened to the Nespresso system, involves a one-time purchase of the device with the ongoing sale of test strips, allowing for regular, cost-effective monitoring.
The company’s closed-loop animal health management platform is a comprehensive solution that includes chemistry on the testing strips, a hardware reader, and a mobile application connected to a cloud-based dashboard. This system not only provides real-time data analysis but also enables detailed reporting with time stamps and geo-tagging, offering valuable insights for veterinarians and farmers alike.
FaunaTech’s innovative approach has not gone unnoticed. AgFunder, an investor through the AgFunder GROW Impact Accelerator, is championing the startup as it prepares to join the accelerator’s fifth cohort beginning in April. With the final call for applications closing on February 25, FaunaTech stands as a testament to the potential of technology to revolutionize traditional industries and improve livelihoods.
As the world grapples with the challenges of sustainable agriculture and food production, startups like FaunaTech are leading the charge in providing solutions that are not only economically beneficial but also environmentally responsible. With its strong intellectual property and a clear vision for the future of dairy farming, FaunaTech is poised to make a significant impact on the global agricultural landscape.