What Border Software does

Border Software Ltd is a privately-held, founder-owned UK software company founded by Martin Tomkins in August 2000 and headquartered in Llangadfan, Welshpool, Powys, Wales. The company develops FarmIT 3000, a Windows desktop farm management application (.NET/Access database) used by UK livestock farmers to manage mandatory records, breeding programmes, weights, treatments, and farm accounts across cattle, sheep, deer, pigs, and poultry. The product architecture is modular: a core FarmIT 3000 license (£399) is extended with paid add-on modules for deer, pigs, dairy, and poultry (£75 each), an upgraded "Gold" version adds integrated accounts (£499), and FarmIT Mobile (Android) and FarmIT Online (web portal) extend access to the field and remote users. The platform differentiates through direct integrations with UK government livestock traceability systems (BCMS/CTS, LIS, Scot EID, EID Cymru), HMRC Making Tax Digital for VAT, and exclusive direct communication with Tru-Test XR5000/XR3000 weigh heads and Agrident EID readers, complemented by proprietary aluminium weigh crates and LoRaWAN/IoT environmental monitoring.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led growth (free 2-month trial, direct download from website) with sales-led engagement (telephone/email sales, request information forms) and channel partnerships bundling software with hardware from Tru-Test and Agrident. Revenue is generated through one-time perpetual software licences (£149–£499), optional annual support subscriptions (£80–£150/year), specialised module licences, hardware resale, and training services. Border Software is entirely bootstrapped with no external funding, employs 11–50 people (described as a small dedicated software company), and in August 2023 discontinued its weigh crate manufacturing line to refocus exclusively on software and software support. Its geographic footprint is the United Kingdom, with operating geographies limited to GBR.

Name

Border Software

Legal name

Border Software Ltd

Website

https://bordersoftware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Border Software Ltd is a UK-based, founder-owned software company developing FarmIT 3000, desktop and mobile farm management software for UK livestock farmers covering cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, and poultry with direct UK government traceability integrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm Management Software

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

akta.pro primary industry

Herd Management Software & Identification (RFID, EID, Data Platforms) (AFAAAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm Data Platforms, Integration & APIs (Interoperability/Middleware) (AFAAAFAG), IoT Farm Sensors & Edge Devices (Soil, Weather, Crop, Water) (AFAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Farm management software
• Livestock record keeping
• Electronic identification readers
• Agricultural weighing equipment
• Pedigree breeding records

Headquarters

HQ city

Welshpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software License Sales: Perpetual software licenses for FarmIT 3000 products (Standard, Gold, Smallholder versions) with lifetime license. One-time purchase model with optional annual support.
2. Annual Support Contracts: Annual support fees: Basic support at £80/year, Advanced support (including FarmIT Online) at £150/year. Includes telephone support, web-based support, and software updates.
3. Specialized Modules: Additional livestock modules sold separately: Deer Module (£75+VAT), Pig Module (£75+VAT), Dairy Module (£75+VAT). Requires base FarmIT 3000 or Gold license.
4. Hardware Sales: Resale of Tru-Test weighing equipment (weigh heads, load bars), EID readers (Agrident), Psion devices, and FarmIT-branded weighing crates. Hardware bundled with software for complete solutions.
5. Training Services: On-site training available (though travel costs charged separately). Free training available in Wales through Farming Connect for those with Welsh holding numbers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Border Software develops and sells FarmIT 3000, a Windows desktop farm management software for livestock record keeping (cattle, sheep, deer, pigs, poultry), breeding performance analysis, and integrated farm accounts. The company bundles and resells agricultural hardware including Agrident EID readers, Tru-Test weighing equipment, and proprietary aluminium sheep weigh crates with built-in EID antennas. Companion offerings include FarmIT Mobile (Android app) and FarmIT Online (web portal with LoRaWAN IoT integration).

Product overview

Border Software offers FarmIT 3000, a desktop-based farm management software platform with modular architecture. The core FarmIT 3000 software handles livestock record keeping (cattle, sheep, deer, pigs, poultry) including movements, treatments, breeding, pedigree, and weight records. Add-on modules extend functionality: FarmIT 3000 Gold adds integrated accounts/VAT, while separate modules cover Deer (£75), Pigs (£75), Dairy (£75), and Poultry recording. Companion mobile applications include FarmIT Mobile for Android and Windows Mobile devices, plus FarmIT Online web portal for remote data access. The company also manufactures proprietary hardware including aluminium sheep weighing crates with built-in EID antennas, and distributes third-party hardware including Agrident EID readers (APR600, APR500, ASR550, ASR650), Tru-Test weighing equipment (XR5000, XR3000, EziWeigh, load bars), stick readers, and mobile printers. FarmIT Online also integrates LoRaWAN/IoT sensors for environmental monitoring. Pricing ranges from £149 for smallholder version to £499 for Gold with accounts, plus annual support fees starting at £80/year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FarmIT 3000: Core farm management software for livestock record keeping, breed improvement, and farm management including cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, deer, and arable modules.
• FarmIT Mobile
• FarmIT Online

Products and services

• FarmIT 3000 Windows desktop-based farm management software for livestock record keeping, breed improvement, and farm business management covering mandatory records for cattle, sheep, deer, pigs, and poultry including movement records, vet and med treatments, breeding, pedigree, and weight records. Sold in Standard (£399), Gold (£499 with integrated accounts), and Smallholder (£149, limited to 30 beef/150 sheep) editions.
• FarmIT Mobile Mobile software application for Android phones and tablets (and legacy Windows Mobile devices/Psion Workabout Pro) providing direct and offline access to farm records in the field, enabling on-the-spot EID reading and animal data collection.
• FarmIT Online Web-based portal providing online access to farm data, online reporting, data sharing, and IoT/climate monitoring through Lorawan devices. Included with Advanced annual support (£150/year).
• FarmIT 3000 Deer Module Add-on licence (£75+VAT) enabling deer records including movement records, vet and med records, pedigree records, weight records, and EID support. Requires base FarmIT 3000 or Gold.
• FarmIT 3000 Pig Module Add-on licence (£75+VAT) enabling individual tagged animal pig records including vet treatments, feeding, breeding, weight, movement records, pedigree trees, and carcass gradings. Requires base FarmIT 3000 or Gold.
• FarmIT 3000 Dairy Module Add-on licence (£75+VAT) providing cattle lists/reports sortable by farm tag/freeze brand, individual cow lactations, milk records, and global milk record analysis with import capabilities. Requires base FarmIT 3000 or Gold.
• FarmIT Poultry Module Poultry recording system based on flock records for meat or egg production including flock setup, monitoring, dispersal, bird counts, deaths, feed, medicines, water, temperature, weights, and egg collection.
• FarmIT LoRaWAN/IoT Monitoring IoT device monitoring system using LoRaWAN wireless network for farm environmental monitoring including temperature, humidity, gate status, water trough levels, and slurry tank monitoring with real-time email alarms.
• FarmIT Weigh Crates Aluminium sheep weighing crates with built-in EID antenna designed for use with Agrident ASR550 static EID readers. Includes 3-way manual drafting crates with integrated load cells. Manufacturing discontinued August 2023; legacy product support only.
• Farm Plan Data Migration Service Free data migration service converting Farm Plan software data to FarmIT 3000 database within 24 hours, including breeding data, historic movements, and vet/med records. £100 discount on FarmIT 3000 license for Farm Plan switchers.
• FarmIT Support Services Annual support subscription via telephone, email, and LogMeIn remote access. Basic support £80+VAT/year; Advanced support £150/year including FarmIT Online access. Software continues working without paid support.
• FarmIT Training Services On-site paid training services available (travel costs charged separately). Free training potentially available through Farming Connect for Welsh holdings or Lantra skills assessments.
• Agrident EID Readers and Tru-Test Weighing Equipment Resold bundled hardware including Agrident handheld EID readers (APR600, APR500, ASR550, ASR650, AWR250, AWR300) and Tru-Test weighing equipment (XR5000, XR3000, EziWeigh 7i, S3, SRS2i, XRS2i, Load Bars), plus Able Systems AP1300 mobile printers. Bundled with FarmIT software for complete farm management solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300-400 sheep can be weighed per hour with EID and auto recording
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tru-TestcoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing partnership since 2001; Tru-Test manufactures weighing equipment (XR5000, XR3000, EW7, EW5, load bars) integrated with FarmIT 3000; FarmIT is the only third-party software with direct communication to XR5000; enables animal life data upload/download and automated drafting control
• AgridentcoreTechnology or IntegrationAgrident produces EID readers (APR350, APR500, APR600, ASR550, AWR250, AWR300) with direct FarmIT 3000 integration; Border Software packages ASR550 in farmer-friendly enclosures with robust connectors; partnership since early 2000s
• SIGNETminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIGNET provides EBV (Estimated Breeding Values) calculation services for UK sheep breeders; FarmIT 3000 exports data for SIGNET analysis and imports results; supports breed improvement programs
• ADASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADAS is an agricultural consultancy; partnered on UK EID evaluation trials that introduced customers to FarmIT 3000; referral source for new customers
• Farming ConnectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWelsh government-funded farming development program; provides free training to farmers with Welsh holding numbers; training may include FarmIT 3000
• LogMeInminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRemote access software used by Border Software support team; enables secure remote viewing and control of customer computers to provide technical support

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Herdwatch: Irish-origin livestock management SaaS serving UK and Irish farmers with cattle, sheep, and compliance records. The most direct head-to-head competitor, especially after 2023 when Farm Plan directed exiting users to Herdwatch - making it the leading beneficiary of UK market consolidation.
• Shearwell Data: UK livestock identification, EID tag manufacturer and software provider offering farm management software paired with their own tags and readers. Competes with FarmIT 3000 across EID-enabled livestock record keeping, particularly in the sheep and cattle segments.
• AgriWebb: Livestock record-keeping and farm management platform originally Australian-founded, now expanding in the UK and EU. Serves commercial beef and sheep producers with similar compliance, EID, and analytics workflows as FarmIT 3000.
• Sum-It Software: UK farm management software provider serving livestock and arable farmers with desktop and cloud records. Competes for the same UK farm-business customer base as Border Software, with comparable compliance and accounting integration scope.

Emerging players

• Breedr: UK livestock data and trading platform focused on beef supply-chain traceability and performance recording. Overlaps with FarmIT 3000 on cattle record keeping and weight/breeding analytics but differentiates via marketplace functionality.

Broad incumbents

• Gallagher: Global animal management solutions provider offering EID tags, weighing systems, and integrated farm software. A broader incumbent whose weighing and EID hardware competes with Tru-Test/Agrident gear that Border Software bundles with FarmIT.
• Datamars: Parent company of Tru-Test (weighing equipment) and Z Tags (EID tags), offering integrated livestock identification and data platforms. A broader incumbent competing across both hardware and software layers that Border Software integrates with.
• Afimilk: Global dairy farm management solutions provider offering herd management software, milking systems, and sensors. Adjacent competitor specifically in the dairy module space where FarmIT 3000 offers its £75 Dairy Module.

Regional players

• 365FarmNet: European multi-enterprise farm management platform serving arable and livestock farmers across continental Europe. Comparable in scope (records, compliance, accounting) but operates in a different geographic footprint than the UK-focused Border Software.

Others

• Farmplan (GateKeeper/Prophet): Historical UK farm management software provider that discontinued Cattle Manager and Sheep Manager in 2023, with users redirected to Herdwatch. Border Software explicitly targets this displaced customer base with its free migration service, making it a pivotal industry context rather than active competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bordersoftware
• Facebookfacebook.com/FarmIT3000
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/border-software-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Border Software