We’re thrilled to announce that Hoofprint Biome has secured $15 million Series A, led by SOSV’s Ireland Biomanufacturing Fund, with participation from SOSV Fund V, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Fellows, and Alexandria Venture Investments.
Methane emissions from cattle accounts for around 30% of global methane emissions, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Hoofprint Biome uses enzymes to reshape the rumen microbiome, naturally reducing methane production while at the same time producing more milk in dairy cows and more weight gain in beef cattle.
“We’ve spent thousands of years breeding the animals to make them as efficient as possible and to increase the yield, but there have not really been that many attempts to change a microbiome. That’d be like if you were engineering a car but had never changed the engine — that’s where all the energy comes from.” – Kathryn Polkoff, CEO and co-founder of Hoofprint Biome.
Ireland is a particularly exciting market for Hoofprint. As one of the world’s top 10 milk exporters (over $1B annually) and a leading EU beef exporter, Ireland’s farming economy is both high-performing and deeply rooted in natural, grass-fed systems. Yet until now, all proposed methane-reduction tools have been chemical-based—sparking backlash from farming communities wary of introducing synthetic additives to cattle feed.
Pressure from regulators is growing. The EU has regulations on livestock density, particularly in relation to manure management and pollution control. While most EU countries operate with a standard two cows per hectare, Ireland has operated under a special exemption (“derogation”) permitting three. That exception is set to expire in December 2025, leaving farmers with a choice to either cut herd sizes or find other ways to cut pollution significantly.
“By improving the efficiency of a cow’s rumen, we’re confident Hoofprint will be able to succeed with farmers where other startups have not. Knocking down methane is table stakes.” – Po Bronson, SOSV General Partner.
Read more in TechCrunch by Tim De Chant.
