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.
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.
“We’ve spent thousands of years breeding 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, said Kathryn Polkoff, CEO and co-founder of Hoofprint Biome. “That’d be like if you were engineering a car but had never changed the engine — that’s where all the energy comes from.”
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. If Hoofprint Biome can help farmers reduce methane emissions, it may help in discussions with EU regulators who have set a December 2025 deadline on livestock density in line with environmental mandates.
“By improving the efficiency of a cow’s rumen, said Po Bronson, SOSV General Partner, “We’re confident Hoofprint will be able to succeed with farmers where other startups have not. Knocking down methane is table stakes.”
Read more in TechCrunch by Tim De Chant.
