BioControl

What BioControl does

BioControl AS is a privately held Norwegian biotechnology company founded in 1991 by Even Jahren in Rakkestad, Norway, that designs, manufactures, and sells RFID-based hardware and supporting software for the international livestock industry. Its portfolio centers on electronic identification and farm automation: the CRFI system for automated individual-animal feeding and feed-intake recording, VaDia portable milking diagnostics, the HHR5000/HHR3000 series of handheld RFID readers, sheep and cattle concentrate feeding stations (SF60, CF60), a Weighing and Sorting System, a Real Time Location System, a Salt Stone Reader for pasture monitoring, plus newer entries (Animal Sensor, Noise Detector). Underlying technology is ISO 11784/85 compliant RFID with proprietary Advanced Digital Decoding (ADD), weight-based feed/portion measurement with air-operated gates, Bluetooth and smartphone integration (notably with Animalia's Lesestav app), and cloud-based data transmission (HTTPS/GPRS) to BioControl or third-party SQL servers. The company holds ISO 9001 certification.

The business model combines one-time hardware sales with a modest recurring software revenue stream. The VaDia Updater license is publicly priced at €120/year and serves as the main disclosed subscription offering; most product pricing requires direct contact. BioControl serves a horizontal mix of customers: individual Norwegian farmers via its online shop, researchers and breeding organizations via direct enterprise sales (e.g., Geno's feed-efficiency program on Norwegian Red cattle), veterinarians using VaDia, and resellers (Fjøssystemer) for concentrate stations. Distribution is direct-to-consumer online in Norway, channel-partner-led domestically, and direct-to-enterprise internationally, supported by three regional service locations in Norway, Poland (BioControl Polska sp. z o.o., R&D and manufacturing), and the United States (BioControl North America, Gladstone, MO). BioControl has approximately 45 employees across these locations.

Name

BioControl

Legal name

BioControl AS

Website

https://biocontrol.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BioControl AS is a Norwegian livestock technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells RFID-based identification, farm automation, and animal health diagnostics hardware and software (CRFI, VaDia, HHR5000 readers) for farmers, veterinarians, and breeding organizations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Livestock Farm Automation & RFID Identification

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (11521), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Identification & Tracking Devices (Microchips, RFID, Tags, Scanners) (HLAMAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Feeding & Nutrition Systems (TMR Mixers, Feeders, Bunk Management) (AFAAAIAE), Livestock Precision Monitoring Software (Herd/Flock Analytics, Health Alerts) (AFAAAFAM), Livestock Weighing, Sorting & Handling Facility Services (AFAEALAG)

Keywords

• Livestock RFID readers
• Farm automation systems
• Electronic ear tags
• Feed intake monitoring
• Milking diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Rakkestad

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of RFID handheld readers (HHR3000, HHR5000 series), RFID antennas, farm automation equipment (feed stations, weighing systems), and accessories. One-time purchase model with varying prices based on product complexity.
2. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: VaDia Suite software with annual 'Updater' license at €120 per year for access to latest features. Software for data analysis and farm management.
3. Complete System Solutions: Integrated systems combining hardware and software for specific applications like feed efficiency monitoring, livestock weighing and sorting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BioControl manufactures and sells RFID-based hardware systems and companion software for the livestock industry. Core products include the CRFI automated feeding and feed intake monitoring system, HHR5000/HHR3000 handheld RFID readers for electronic ear tags, VaDia portable milking diagnostics, concentrate feeding stations (CF60, SF60), weighing and sorting systems, salt stone readers, and Real Time Location Systems. These solutions serve livestock farmers, veterinarians, and scientists worldwide for animal identification, feed management, milking analysis, and herd monitoring.

Product overview

BioControl provides technology for biology with a focus on hi-tech products for the international livestock industry. The portfolio consists of RFID-based hardware systems (handheld readers, stationary readers, feeding stations, weighing systems) and companion software (VaDia Suite, HHR Animalia, CRFI software). Core products include the CRFI automated feeding/feed intake monitoring system, VaDia milking diagnostics, HHR5000/HHR3000 handheld RFID readers, Sheep Feeder SF60, Concentrate Station CF60, Weighing and Sorting System WSS, Salt Stone Reader, and Real Time Location System. Products serve farmers, veterinarians, and scientists in agriculture sectors for animal identification, feed management, milking analysis, and herd monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CRFI (Controlling and Recording Feed Intake)

Quantifiable outcome

• CRFI system enables precise calculation of breeding values for feed efficiency and sustainability-related traits in Norwegian Red cattle
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AnimaliacoreTechnology or Integration · 30 August 2024Animalia developed the Lesestav app that integrates with BioControl's HHR5000S for reading electronic ear tags. Data is sent directly to Sauekontrollen (sheep control) and Storfekontrollen (cattle control) systems.
• GenocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2024Geno uses BioControl's CRFI system in their feed efficiency breeding project for Norwegian Red cattle. 14 herds equipped with CRFI for detailed feed intake monitoring to calculate breeding values for sustainability traits.
• FjøssystemercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFjøssystemer is the authorized reseller of BioControl products in Norway, specifically handling concentrate stations and sheep feeders.
• NorturaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioControl collaborated with Nortura starting in 2008 to develop the salt stone reader system for monitoring sheep on pasture.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lely: Dutch dairy farm automation specialist (milking robots, feeding, sensors). Comparable to BioControl's CRFI and milking-diagnostic offerings as a farm-automation incumbent serving dairy farmers.
• Gallagher Group: New Zealand-based diversified livestock solutions provider offering electric fencing, weighing systems, and EID/RFID readers. BioControl's HHR readers import weight data from Gallagher scales, signaling direct product overlap in animal identification and weighing.
• Allflex Livestock Intelligence (MSD Animal Health): World's largest livestock identification business (ear tags, RFID readers, sensors) under MSD Animal Health. Directly comparable to BioControl in livestock RFID and electronic ear-tag-based monitoring.
• BouMatic: International dairy milking equipment and farm automation company. Overlaps with BioControl's VaDia milking diagnostics and farm automation product lines for dairy customers.
• Datamars: Owner of Tru-Test and other livestock identification brands; supplies RFID tags, readers, and identification solutions globally. Directly comparable in livestock EID/RFID product category.
• DeLaval: Global dairy farm solutions provider covering milking equipment, herd management, and sensors. Overlaps with BioControl's VaDia milking diagnostics and broader farm automation for dairy producers.
• Tru-Test (Datamars Livestock): Global leader in livestock weighing and electronic identification readers, now part of Datamars. BioControl's HHR readers integrate with Tru-Test weighing equipment, reflecting direct overlap in EID reader hardware serving livestock farmers.
• GEA Farm Technologies: Global dairy farming equipment and automation supplier. Comparable to BioControl as a larger incumbent in milking systems and dairy farm automation.

Direct peers

• Caisley International: Specialist livestock ear tag and identification supplier based in Germany. Closely comparable to BioControl in electronic identification hardware for the livestock industry.
• Afimilk: Israeli dairy herd management solutions company offering sensors, milking-point analytics, and software. Comparable to BioControl in precision dairy instrumentation and on-farm data collection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BioControlAS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BioControlEID
• Facebookfacebook.com/biocontrolas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biocontrol-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BioControl