Hoofprint Biome raised $15M for a rumen enzyme that cuts cow methane and boosts feed

Feed additive startup that uses enzymes to modify a cow's rumen microbiome, reducing methane and boosting nutrients available to the animal

A rumen-derived enzyme that cuts methane and also improves cow feed efficiency is what farmers will pay for, unlike methane-only products

$15M Series A led by SOSV with AgriZeroNZ, Alexandria Venture Investments, Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy Fellows, Good Growth Capital, Ponderosa Ventures and Twynam

Co-founder and CEO Kathryn Polkoff, who has a PhD in animal science, first heard about the methane problem in animal science 101, in the context of animal health and productivity, not climate. She and co-founder Scott Collins found a novel way to modify a cow's microbiome using enzymes.

Hoofprint's additive tweaks the rumen microbiome and suppresses growth of the specific microbes that generate methane, a gas that warms the planet 84 times more than the same amount of CO2. SOSV's Po Bronson said the enzymes derive from the rumen itself, which he thinks will avoid the disinformation wave that hit methane product Bovaer after a UK trial announcement in December. The company targets a 5% improvement in feed efficiency. The $15M Series A will fund on-farm trials of its enzymes.

Methane-cutting products have not sold widely because they offer farmers no productivity benefit

Cows have evolved with a rumen microbiome that is rarely engineered, leaving room for innovation

A natural, rumen-derived protein may face less public pushback than synthetic additives

A 5% feed efficiency gain gives farmers a payback that does not depend on carbon policy

Climate products that also raise farm productivity give buyers a reason to pay; Bronson's view that methane reduction is table stakes is an investor's opinion, not a market result.

As of 2025-04-29, Hoofprint had closed a $15M Series A and planned to trial its enzyme on farms, targeting a 5% feed efficiency gain.