What AI Services does

AI Services (Northern Ireland) Ltd is a farmer-owned bovine genetics company founded on 1 October 1988, when it took over the artificial insemination function previously operated by the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture. The company operates from its Ballycraigy headquarters and EU Export Approved stud farm in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, and is owned and controlled by approximately 2,500 farmer shareholders under cooperative-style principles (dividends on shares plus a trading bonus based on business transacted). Through its sister company Eurogene AI Services (Tipperary), the combined AI Services Group is the only all-island and largest genetics organisation on the island of Ireland. As of mid-2026, AI Services and Cogent Breeding Ltd operate a joint venture, Cogent Ai Services, that consolidates 21 AI Services technician and sales roles with Cogent's NI team, effective 17 July 2026.

The core offering spans dairy and beef bull semen (conventional and sexed) sourced globally from sires in the USA, France, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, alongside AI technician services, embryo transfer, liquid nitrogen delivery, bull fertility assessment, DIY AI training courses, and exclusive Northern Ireland distribution of Canada-based SCCL's Calf Choice Total colostrum powder. Technology is anchored in cryopreservation at minus 196°C, an EU-approved semen collection laboratory, Ultraplus 4M High Purity sexed semen technology, genomic testing portals, advanced mating programmes, and an online Sire Selector filter tool, all supported by a £3.5-4m facility redevelopment expected to open in 2026. The company markets through regional breeding specialists covering all NI counties, printed and digital sire catalogues, an active Facebook page, newsletter, agricultural shows (Royal Ulster Winter Fair, Armagh Show), and an Agriland Media Group breeding video series with Eurogene and LIC.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is described only as "sound and profitable." Money is earned through transactional per-straw semen pricing (example: conventional £13/straw, sexed £23/straw with 20-straw minimum), professional AI technician services, usage-based liquid nitrogen delivery, embryo transfer and DIY training course fees, and a small product distribution line in colostrum powder. Customer segments are predominantly SMB dairy and beef farmers in Northern Ireland, with a smaller but growing footprint serving Republic of Ireland farmers via Eurogene and export customers in the EU, New Zealand, Canada, North America, Australia and Denmark. A 50% growth in beef semen exports over 18 months was reported in 2021.

Name

AI Services

Legal name

AI Services (Northern Ireland) Ltd

Website

https://ai-services.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Livestock Genetics & Breeding Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Artificial Insemination (AI) & Semen Services (Collection, Processing, Storage) (AFACAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Artificial Insemination (AI) & Semen Collection/Distribution Services (AFAEAJAA), Sexed Semen & Sex Selection Services (AFAEAJAI), Embryo Transfer (ET) & IVF Services (Superovulation, Flushing, Implantation) (AFACAEAB)

Keywords

• Cattle artificial insemination
• Bovine genetics distribution
• Dairy bull semen
• Beef cattle breeding
• Embryo transfer services

Headquarters

HQ city

Antrim

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Semen Sales: Sales of high quality bull semen (conventional and sexed) produced at the EU-approved Ballycraigy stud or imported. Semen is sold to service users and DIY operators, with exports to EU and worldwide markets.
2. AI Technician Service: On-farm artificial insemination service provided by trained technicians throughout Northern Ireland, delivered through both AI Services directly and the new Cogent Ai Services joint venture.
3. Liquid Nitrogen Delivery: Regular liquid nitrogen delivery service ensuring DIY flask refills every 3 months for farmers performing their own AI.
4. Embryo Transfer Services: Embryo transfer (flushing) services from donor animals with subsequent transfer to recipients or freezing for later use. Provided for over 20 years.
5. DIY AI Training Courses: Thorough DIY training courses with veterinary and practical instruction, enabling farmers to perform artificial insemination themselves.
6. Calf Choice Total (Colostrum Powder): Exclusive distribution in Northern Ireland of Calf Choice Total whole colostrum powder, manufactured by Canada-based SCCL, for newborn calf nutrition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AI Services (Northern Ireland) Ltd supplies artificial insemination services and high-quality bull semen to livestock producers throughout Northern Ireland and international markets. The company operates an EU Export Approved Stud Farm and Semen Laboratory at Ballycraigy, produces and imports dairy and beef semen (including sexed semen variants), and delivers on-farm services through a regional technician network, DIY training, embryo transfer, and liquid nitrogen supply.

Product overview

AI Services is a farmer-owned bovine genetics company operating as a single integrated platform offering artificial insemination services, semen products, and supporting farm services across Northern Ireland. The core offering consists of dairy and beef semen from elite Holstein and beef sires respectively, available as conventional or sexed semen. The product portfolio includes the Holstein Catalogues, Beef Sires Catalogues, and Dairy Breeds Catalogues for bull selection. Supporting services include AI Technician Service, Embryo Transfer, DIY AI Courses, Liquid Nitrogen Delivery, and Stud Facilities with Semen Laboratory. The company also offers an online Sire Selector tool for filtering bulls by production, type, and management traits. A supplementary product line includes Calf Choice Total colostrum powder. The recent June 2026 partnership with Cogent Breeding Ltd created 'Cogent Ai Services' for Northern Ireland technician and sales operations while AI Services retains focus on genetics production and export markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AI Insemination Service Core artificial insemination service delivering efficient and effective AI to livestock producers throughout Northern Ireland, with semen either produced at company's EU-approved stud farm or imported.
• Holstein Semen High-quality bull semen from elite Holstein bulls sourced globally, available as conventional or sexed semen, with detailed performance proofs including PLI, production, and type traits for dairy farmers.
• Beef Semen Semen from 30+ elite beef sires across multiple breeds including Aberdeen Angus, Limousin, British Blue, Charolais, Hereford, Simmental, Salers, and Speckle Park, sourced and performance tested from local Northern Ireland breeders.
• Sexed Semen Sex-sorted semen technology allowing farmers to select offspring gender, increasing efficiency of herd replacements and enabling greater use of beef semen on lower-ranking cows. Priced at £23 per straw versus £13 for conventional.
• Embryo Transfer Service Collection and transfer of embryos from donor animals to recipient surrogate mothers, or freezing for later transfer, enabling up to 20 progeny per year from best cows. Offered for beef, dairy, pedigree and commercial herds.
• Stud Facilities and Semen Laboratory EU-approved bull stud and semen collection facility at Ballycraigy providing fertility assessment services, with semen eligible for export to EU member states and worldwide markets including New Zealand, Canada, North America and Australia.
• DIY AI Training Courses Training courses providing veterinary and practical instruction for farmers to perform artificial insemination themselves, with semen handling guidance. Contact Ballycraigy on (028) 9083 3123 for details.
• Liquid Nitrogen Delivery Service Regular delivery service ensuring DIY flasks are topped up every 3 months, supporting farmers who store semen on-farm. Contact office on (028) 9083 3123.
• AI Technician Service Professional AI technician service providing on-farm insemination services across Northern Ireland, with regional breeding specialists available for breeding calls in all NI counties.
• Calf Choice Total Colostrum Powder Whole colostrum powder sourced from specifically selected cows, heat-treated to eliminate pathogens, available exclusively from AI Services for newborn calf feeding to restore natural gut function.
• Bull Fertility Assessment On-farm assessment service evaluating stock bull fertility through semen collection and evaluation, performed by company veterinarian for compliance with fertility insurance claims.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 25% PLI-ranked cows produced extra 114kg milk solids and £479 additional milk income per lactation compared to bottom 25%
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cogent Breeding LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026Two of the UK's leading genetics companies announced a cooperative working agreement to drive efficiencies and deliver an enhanced service to dairy and beef farmers across Northern Ireland. Under the proposed operating model, 21 technician and sales roles within AI Services will be merged with the Cogent team. The new arrangements take effect from 17 July 2026, applying solely to the technician service and sale of semen within Northern Ireland. The new joint venture will trade as 'Cogent Ai Services', directed by a joint steering committee. The partnership builds on logistics and supply arrangements that have brought significant efficiencies since June 2025.
• Eurogene AI ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurogene AI Services is the sister company of AI Services (NI) in the Republic of Ireland, based in Tipperary. Together they form the Ai Services Group - the only all-island genetics organisation and the largest such organisation on the island of Ireland. Larry Burke served as General Manager of Eurogene before becoming Group CEO of AI Services. Eurogene ownership and control is completely unaffected by the Cogent partnership.
• Viking GeneticscoreTechnology or IntegrationAI Services has access to the full range of VikingRed sires and other Viking Genetics breeds (Holstein, Jersey, Montbeliarde). VikingRed dominates UK PLI List of Available Ayrshire and Red Bulls with 10 out of 10 of the highest ranking bulls. The breeding population comprises over 200,000 milk recorded red cows in Sweden, Finland and Denmark. VikingRed sires are a key component of the ProCROSS crossbreeding programme.
• LIC (Livestock Improvement Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgriland Media Group launched a new breeding series in association with AI Services, Eurogene, and LIC. The series consists of farmer-focused videos covering different dairy farming systems in Ireland.
• SCCL (Saskatchewan Colostrum Company Ltd)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAI Services is the exclusive distributor in Northern Ireland of Calf Choice Total whole colostrum powder, manufactured by Canada-based SCCL. SCCL has developed bovine colostrum products for 3 decades to restore natural gut function in calves. SCCL representatives visit Northern Ireland to support the product.
• Agriland Media GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgriland Media Group has partnered with AI Services, Eurogene, and LIC to produce a new breeding series featuring farmer-focused videos covering different farming systems across Ireland. AI Services product manager Ivan Minford contributes expert commentary.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CRV: Dutch cattle genetics cooperative selling dairy and beef semen and offering AI/herd improvement services across Europe, including the UK and Ireland. Direct competitor on sexed semen, genomic testing and breeding programmes targeting dairy farmers.
• Viking Genetics: Cooperative providing VikingRed, Holstein, Jersey and Montbeliarde genetics across the Nordics, UK and Ireland; AI Services partners with them for ProCROSS programme and VikingRed sires. Operates an EU-equivalent stud and serves dairy farmers with identical AI/semen services.
• Semex: Canadian cattle genetics cooperative distributing Holstein, Jersey and beef semen globally. Comparable business model (farmer-aligned cooperative), direct overlap with AI Services' product portfolio (elite dairy sires, sexed semen, genomic offerings) and similar customer base of dairy and beef farmers.
• Eurogene AI Services: Sister company of AI Services operating in the Republic of Ireland from Tipperary. Together they form the AI Services Group, offering directly overlapping cattle AI and semen products to farmers across the island of Ireland.
• Cogent Breeding Ltd: UK-based cattle genetics company and AI Services' JV partner in Cogent Ai Services from July 2026. Both sell bovine semen and provide technician services across the UK, with overlapping Holstein/beef sire portfolios and similar target customers (dairy and beef farmers).

Broad incumbents

• Genus ABS (ABS Global): World's largest bovine genetics business, part of Genus plc, providing conventional and sexed semen, embryo transfer and genomic services globally including the UK and Ireland. A much larger incumbent competing across all of AI Services' product lines with greater R&D investment.
• Alta Genetics (URUS Group): Global cattle genetics company within URUS Group offering semen, embryo, and dairy herd management services. Competes with AI Services across the UK and European dairy market on sexed semen, genomic programs and technician-led AI services at larger scale.
• World Wide Sires: Global cattle genetics distribution and AI service business operating across multiple continents including the UK and Ireland. Comparable product portfolio (Holstein and beef semen, sexed technology) and overlapping customer base of progressive dairy farmers.
• Select Sires Inc. US farmer-owned cooperative that is one of the world's largest bovine AI organisations, distributing Holstein and beef semen globally. Comparable cooperative ownership structure and product portfolio, but operates at substantially greater scale with established international distribution.

Regional players

• LIC (Livestock Improvement Corporation): New Zealand dairy herd improvement cooperative providing semen, AI services, herd recording and genomic tools; AI Services partners with LIC on the Agriland breeding series. Comparable cooperative-led genetics model but focused primarily on the New Zealand market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AIServicesNI

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 AI Services