Bovonic QuadSense: Accurate dairy mastitis detection made affordable

A 29-year-old NZ dairy innovator will show off his revolutionary mastitis sensor in Perth next week, as one of 50 agtech start-ups to watch.

Technology is finally catching up with dairy farmers’ appetite for innovation, with exciting solutions on show at a global agtech conference in Western Australia next week.

Bovonic founder Liam Kampshof will be one of 50 agtech start-ups demonstrating new agtech products and services to an expected global crowd at this year’s EvokeAg in Perth on February 20-21.

The 29-year-old New Zealand entrepreneur grew up on a dairy farm in the Bay of Plenty, and has turned his experience in the field of health diagnostics to agriculture.

He and his team have designed an in-line mastitis detection sensor with a difference.

He said it was more accurate, durable, easy to install and affordable than current products on the market.

Liam Kampshof runs start-up agtech company Bovonic, which will produce an innovative in-line mastitis sensor system. Picture: Supplied

Called the QuadSense, the product consists of four sensors – one in each milking cup – to scan for signs of early infection, alerting workers in the dairy within one minute if a cow needs attention.

“All other products use a single sensor,” Liam said. “Our point of difference is that our system measures the milk from every teat.

“Mastitis always starts in one quarter of a cow’s udder. We compare within the cow.”

With commercial production starting soon, Bovonic already has 150 pre-orders for the units.

Liam said the idea started with farmers, and their need for a solution that would be reliable, robust and deliver actual return on investment.

West Australian dairy farmer Jacqui Biddulph, who runs Kerridge Farm Pty Ltd with her husband, Bob, said her family had spent the past decade investing in technology that could help reduce costs while also cutting emissions, boosting animal health and improving profitability.

“Our focus has been on making our business as efficient as it possibly can be in terms of resources we bring in,” said Jacqui, who will also be a speaker at EvokeAg.

While her family’s focus has been energy-saving measures and genomic testing, she said solutions such as QuadSense that could improve animal welfare and boost production would be great for the sector.