Rumin8 is advancing its methane-reducing feed additives trials for cattle in New Zealand, backed by US$3 million in AgriZeroNZ funding to accelerate commercialisation. The investment strengthens Rumin8’s partnerships and prepares the product for pivotal trials and future commercial registration.
Rumin8 is accelerating its commercialisation progress in New Zealand, adding a New Zealand investor to its core group of commercial partners as it prepares to enter the final trial process for commercial registration of its methane abating feed additives for cattle. New Zealand public-private partnership AgriZeroNZ has committed US$3 million in funding to Rumin8, adding to the stable of commercial partnerships with companies including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Preluded Ventures, Aware Super, Harvest Road, Starshot Capital, Just Climate and Conscience Bay Company.
Rumin8 CEO and Co-founder David Messina said part of Rumin8’s growth strategy was to align with commercial partners in key target markets. “AgriZeroNZ is committed to helping farmers in New Zealand reduce emissions without compromising profitability and productivity. This is exactly how Rumin8 is developing its commercial model, so AgriZeroNZ is such a natural fit,” Messina stated. “We are both acutely aware that if we are to increase uptake of methane abating products in the agriculture sector, those products need to stack-up commercially. That’s why the productivity gains and safety profile we are achieving while also reducing methane emissions are so important.”
Rumin8 achieved provisional registration from the New Zealand Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) in 2024, to enable efficacy and safety studies to be conducted in commercial animals to generate the data for final approval in New Zealand. The company will shortly commence pivotal trials in New Zealand. In addition to providing definitive safety and efficacy results across a large commercial-sized trial, the pivotal trial also defines the instructions and dosage on the final product label if the product achieves commercial registration.
“We are planning to have first commercial sales in New Zealand in 2027, and AgriZeroNZ’s commitment is an important step to achieve that milestone,” Messina said. Noting Rumin8 was conscious of the importance of New Zealand’s “clean green image” to marketing its agricultural produce, he added: “Rumin8’s technology reproduces the naturally occurring compound found in red seaweed (asparagopsis) with precision and consistency, while providing a low cost, scalable, manufacturing process.”
