Barnwell Bio raises US$6M to improve early detection of livestock diseases

USA – Barnwell Bio, a young technology company focused on livestock health, has secured US$6 million in seed funding to strengthen its disease detection platform and grow its technical capacity.

Founded in 2024, Barnwell Bio uses metagenomic sequencing on livestock wastewater to detect animal diseases such as avian flu and egg drop syndrome. The company says its system gives food producers clear data that helps them respond faster to health risks and reduce losses.

Michael Rhys, co-founder of Barnwell Bio, said the platform offers producers a strong foundation for decision-making. “Our platform provides a robust set of data that helps producers manage complex disease challenges with more confidence,” he said.

Building stronger tools for producers

Barnwell Bio plans to use the new funding to improve its analytical systems, strengthen its artificial intelligence tools, and hire an in-house veterinarian. The company believes these steps will help farmers and food companies detect risks earlier and act before outbreaks spread.

The start-up already works with Mississippi State University and West Liberty Foods. These partnerships support research and practical testing of its technology in real production environments.

Concerns about animal diseases continue to grow as outbreaks affect food supply chains and market stability. Producers face rising pressure to monitor animal health more closely while keeping costs under control.

Rising global disease pressure

Animal diseases remain a major threat to food systems worldwide. In March 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization warned that the spread of avian influenza H5N1 had reached an “unprecedented scale,” wiping out hundreds of millions of birds and spreading to mammals. The outbreak threatens food supply, rural jobs, and consumer prices.

African swine fever has also remained widespread in Europe. By 2025, the disease continued to affect pig populations, with dozens of new outbreaks reported in domestic pigs in a single month. These outbreaks have disrupted pork markets in Asia and Europe.

Foot-and-mouth disease, Newcastle disease, and classical swine fever also continue to cause heavy losses. Since 2000, most countries have reported major outbreaks, which shows how widespread the challenge has become.

Experts warn that diseases such as avian flu also pose risks to humans. This makes monitoring systems a priority for both agriculture and public health.

Economic and food security impact

Livestock diseases cost the global economy hundreds of billions of US dollars each year through animal deaths, lower productivity, and trade limits. In sub-Saharan Africa, livestock contributes up to 40 percent of agricultural GDP, which means outbreaks can directly affect household income and national food security.

Commercial farms often suffer severe losses when entire herds or flocks must be culled. Smallholder farmers face even greater risks, as a single outbreak can wipe out a year’s income.

As outbreaks become more frequent, food prices rise and protein supplies shrink. This reality increases demand for scalable monitoring tools that help producers act earlier and reduce damage.

Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE.