{
  "id": 629887,
  "title": "Tech company Halter continues to milk it with virtual fences, cow collars",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/tech-company-halter-continues-to-milk-it-with-virtual-fences-cow",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-12T03:56:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RNZ Business",
    "slug": "rnz-business",
    "url": "https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/975392/tech-company-halter-continues-to-milk-it-with-virtual-fences-cow-collars"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Technology firm Halter, based in the United States, is experiencing significant growth following an increase in farmers utilizing its cow collars to manage pastures. The company now manages collars for over 1.5 million cows globally. The collars are solar-powered smart devices that create virtual fences and are controlled through an app using artificial intelligence. Halter reported a revenue of $98 million from New Zealand farmers and other intercompany services for pasture management systems within just nine months last year.\n\nIn the fiscal year ending December 31, Halter's after-tax profit was $2.57 million, up from $53.8 million a year prior. This increase came as the company changed its financial reporting to follow an American-style calendar year, unlike its owner. Most of Halter's revenue is reinvested into growth and research and development. Farmers pay a subscription fee of 2-3 years, billed monthly or annually, and also a one-time fee for the installation of hardware, such as tall towers that connect GPS collars to the app. Halter recently launched a direct-to-satellite service, which eliminates the need for radio towers.\n\nThe CEO and founder, Craig Piggott, expressed optimism about the company's expansion and workforce growth, stating that Halter is in a period of rapid change and expansion. The company plans to hire more staff and develop more products to bring its services to more farmers and ranchers worldwide. As of now, Halter employs 391 people in New Zealand and a total of 535 globally. Its workforce increased by 109 percent over the past year, and the company is preparing to enter the South American market, where it currently serves over 3,500 farms and ranches. Despite mixed opinions on the animal welfare implications of virtual fencing technology, Halter has released an ethical code for its GPS collars. However, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ruled out any additional regulations for the technology, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Animal Welfare Act.",
  "summary": "Halter is expanding its reach across cattle farms, as it clocks 1.5 million cows now wearing its collars globally.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}