Nexa Labs

What do they actually do

Nexa Labs makes an implantable, batteryless sensor for cattle and a herd management app. A small subcutaneous chip is inserted under the skin of the ear during routine handling; it is powered and read by a paired external ear‑tag or nearby gateway, which relays data to Nexa’s platform nexa.farm nexa.farm/science.

The software provides web and mobile dashboards, integrates with common herd systems (e.g., DairyComp, Dart, DHI), and issues alerts for events like heat detection and early signs of disease based on multimodal internal biometrics (e.g., temperature, cardiorespiratory signals, activity) nexa.farm nexa.farm/science. Nexa also runs an AI “copilot” called Daisy, currently in beta, that turns herd data into prioritized insights Dairy Global.

The product is in early commercial use with initial on‑farm deployments in the western U.S.; press coverage describes pilots/early installs rather than a lab‑only prototype, and reports a waitlist exceeding 200,000 head of cattle California Dairy Magazine AgProud. The company emphasizes field integrations so farm staff can act on alerts without re‑entering data nexa.farm.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Large commercial dairy operators (multi‑thousand‑head herds): They miss early illness or estrus across thousands of animals because visual checks are intermittent; this costs milk, fertility and labor. They need herd‑wide, continuous monitoring that ties into existing systems AgProud California Dairy Magazine.
• Mid‑size or family dairies with limited labor: Short‑staffed teams often find sick animals late and struggle to keep digital records consistent; they need practical alerts and integrations to reduce re‑entry and catch problems earlier nexa.farm.
• Beef feedlot and large cow‑calf managers: Respiratory disease and rapid health swings drive mortality and lost weight gain; external tags/collars and periodic checks can miss early internal signs. They need earlier detection that fits existing workflows nexa.farm AgProud.
• Herd veterinarians and herd‑health consultants: They lack continuous, objective biometrics to triage animals and validate interventions; they rely on spot checks and owner reports. They need longitudinal data to prioritize care and measure outcomes Dairy Global.
• Animal‑product brands, processors, and supply‑chain buyers: They struggle to verify health histories and differentiate supply by welfare/quality. They need verifiable animal‑level records and traceability signals derived from on‑farm data AgProud.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Select high‑value pilot partners from the waitlist and current deployments; offer free/discounted implants during scheduled handling, hands‑on onboarding for 60–90 days, and direct integrations so staff avoid re‑entry AgProud nexa.farm.
• First 50: Run paid regional pilots with trained implantation crews and partner vets; sell 6–12 week packages with KPI tracking (e.g., heat detection, early‑disease alerts) and a verified ROI report to drive local references nexa.farm Comstock.
• First 100: Scale via farm‑equipment dealers, national vet networks, and herd‑software partners; bundle implants, ear‑tags/gateways and a 12‑month analytics subscription, certify local installers, and host regional implantation days to clear waitlists AgProud nexa.farm.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Globally there are well over 1 billion head of cattle, indicating a very large potential base for health and monitoring solutions Our World in Data (FAO). In the U.S. alone, total cattle are 94.2 million, with 9.45 million milk cows and 13.0 million cattle on feed, highlighting a sizable near‑term target segment USDA NASS.

Bottom-up calculation:

Focusing on the U.S., if Nexa targets 9.45M dairy cows plus 13.0M cattle on feed (~22.5M animals) at an assumed $50 per head per year (hardware amortization + software), that implies roughly a $1.1B TAM for these segments USDA NASS. Expanding to additional beef and international herds would increase TAM materially, subject to adoption and regulatory fit.

Assumptions:

• Per‑head annual spend of ~$50 (blended hardware + software)
• Feedlot cattle are monitored during their on‑feed period and priced on an annualized basis
• Targetable population initially limited to U.S. dairy cows and cattle on feed (~22.5M head)

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Allflex / SCR: Proven collars/tags/boluses (Heatime HR) for rumination, activity, and reproduction with deep integrations and large‑scale deployments; Nexa’s angle is an implanted sensor measuring internal biometrics rather than external activity alone Allflex Nexa science.
• Afimilk: Collars, leg tags, and sensors plus AfiFarm software for heat and health alerts, competing on integrated hardware+software and global installs; differs from Nexa’s subcutaneous implant + external gateway approach Afimilk Nexa product.
• CowManager: Ear‑mounted sensor system tracking ear temperature, eating/rumination and activity with cloud/mobile tools; uses external ear sensors rather than implanted devices CowManager Nexa science.
• Smartbow (Zoetis): Zoetis‑backed ear‑tag platform for rumination, activity, heat detection and real‑time location with strong enterprise channels; sensors are external tags, not implants Smartbow/Zoetis Nexa product.
• HerdDogg: Low‑cost Bluetooth ear tags and mobile readers focused on early illness and estrus alerts for ranch/feedlot use; competes on simplicity/price and external sensing vs. Nexa’s internal biometrics HerdDogg Nexa science.