AgNext at Colorado State University

What AgNext at Colorado State University does

AgNext is a research program housed within Colorado State University (Fort Collins, Colorado), established in December 2019 as the Sustainable Livestock Systems Collaborative and rebranded under its current name with Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson as Director since October 2020. The program operates across Colorado State University's College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and Department of Animal Sciences, and runs one of America's largest cattle emissions research facilities capable of measuring methane from cattle in both confinement and grazing systems. Its core product portfolio consists of calculator and decision-support tools — the Feed Additive Calculator Tool (FACT) for Beef and FACT for Dairy (spreadsheet tools that predict enteric methane emissions and economic implications of feed additives, with FACT for Beef based on USDA guidelines), the Price Slide Tool for Marketing Steers, and the Grazing Principles Guidebook and Checklist — alongside a research publication library and the AgNext Podcast.

AgNext's underlying work combines physical emissions measurement, life cycle assessment modeling, agricultural economics, rangeland ecology, and animal health science to address enteric methane quantification, feed additive economics, and grazing management. It functions less as a commercial vendor and more as a research and convening platform: it convenes an Industry Innovation Working Group of 20+ partners across beef, dairy, animal health, finance, and environmental sectors (Cargill, Zoetis, National Beef, Rabobank, DeLaval, Environmental Defense Fund, Farm Credit Services of America, The Nature Conservancy, Elanco, American Hereford Association, Aurora Organic Dairy, and others). Its products and publications are distributed primarily through free self-serve downloads from the AgNext website and through direct engagement with industry partners; some research outputs require partnership or grant-funded collaborations.

The program's revenue mechanics are grant-driven rather than commercial. Documented inflows include $1M from the USDA (May 2023), $1M from Cargill for methane reduction research (July 2024), participation in the $3M NSF Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (October 2024), a strategic research collaboration with Zoetis (December 2024), and a $1M grant from the Colorado Department of Agriculture (2023). AgNext also solicits philanthropic support for graduate students. Its primary customer segments are beef and dairy producers, government and policymakers, beef and dairy supply chain participants (processors, retailers, food companies), and graduate students, addressed through a community-led, event-driven, and sales-led go-to-market motion anchored by industry partnerships.

Name

AgNext at Colorado State University

Legal name

Colorado State University

Website

https://agnext.colostate.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AgNext is Colorado State University's research program developing climate-smart tools and science for sustainable livestock systems, focused on measuring and reducing enteric methane emissions for beef and dairy producers, policymakers, and supply chain partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Livestock sustainability research
• Methane emissions measurement
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Feedlot systems research
• Agricultural lifecycle assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: AgNext operates as a university research program funded through grants from government agencies, industry partners, and organizations such as the National Science Foundation ($3M Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine funding), USDA, and state agricultural departments.
2. Industry Research Collaborations: Strategic research partnerships with industry leaders including Zoetis, Cargill ($1M methane reduction research), and others where companies fund specific research initiatives in exchange for collaboration and insights.
3. Philanthropic Support: AgNext seeks philanthropic support for M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students through their Graduate Student Investment program, with contact information provided for donations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

AgNext is a university research program that develops and disseminates science-based tools, research, and education for sustainable animal agriculture. It operates one of America's largest cattle emissions research facilities and produces standalone tools (FACT for Beef, FACT for Dairy, Price Slide Tool, Grazing Principles framework) and research outputs focused on enteric methane measurement, feed economics, grazing management, and lifecycle assessment. Offerings are provided as free downloads alongside direct research collaborations with industry and government partners.

Product overview

AgNext at Colorado State University is a research-focused organization that develops science-based tools and resources for sustainable animal agriculture. Its product portfolio consists of multiple standalone calculator tools and educational resources centered around methane emissions measurement, grazing management, and economic analysis. The core offerings include the Feed Additive Calculator Tools (FACT) for both beef and dairy sectors, which predict enteric methane emissions and economic implications of feed additives; the Grazing Principles Guidebook and Checklist for rangeland management; the Price Slide Tool for cattle marketing analysis; and the AgNext Podcast for disseminating research findings. These products serve producers, consultants, and industry stakeholders seeking data-driven solutions for climate-smart livestock production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AgNext Podcast: Podcast exploring innovations, research, and practices shaping sustainable animal agriculture
• FACT (Feed Additive Calculator Tool)
• Grazing Principles

Products and services

• Feed Additive Calculator Tool (FACT) for Beef A spreadsheet calculator tool for beef producers and technical consultants to predict enteric methane emissions from cattle and explore economic implications of feed additives that mitigate methane emissions; based on USDA guidelines.
• Feed Additive Calculator Tool (FACT) for Dairy A spreadsheet calculator tool for dairy producers and technical consultants to predict enteric methane emissions from lactating dairy cows and explore economic implications of feed additives; estimates baseline emissions based on dry matter intake, NDF content, body weight, and milk fat content.
• Grazing Principles Guidebook and Checklist A guide with seven principles for successful livestock grazing management on Western rangelands, including practical explanations, resources, and tools to support implementation; developed in collaboration with Kevin Jablonski et al. (2023).
• Price Slide Tool for Marketing Steers An Excel-based tool enabling producers to assess how changes in animal performance and marketing dates impact per head revenues, analyzing external market forces and management changes.
• AgNext Podcast A podcast series exploring innovations, research, and practices shaping the future of sustainable animal agriculture, featuring conversations with researchers and industry experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Feed additive calculator tools enable producers to quantify methane reductions and economic tradeoffs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZoetiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2024Zoetis announced a strategic research collaboration with AgNext to bolster cattle industry science and discovery. The partnership focuses on advancing research in sustainable livestock production and cattle health.
• Beef Northwest FeederscoreOthersJulian Garcia, CEO of Beef Northwest Feeders, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group providing strategic guidance on sustainable beef production.
• Farm Credit Services of AmericacoreOthersMarshall Hansen, Senior Vice President, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group providing corporate business development expertise.
• Environmental Defense FundcoreOthersPeri Rosenstein, Senior Scientist, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group contributing environmental science expertise.
• National BeefcoreOthersRobert Cannell, Chief Sustainability Officer, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group providing beef industry sustainability perspective.
• RabobankcoreOthersShane Bownds, Managing Director, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group providing agricultural finance expertise.
• CargillcoreOthersScott Pohlman, Director of Beef Supply Chain Sustainability, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group.
• DeLaval InternationalcoreOthersNancy Charlton, Global Product Manager, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group providing dairy technology expertise.
• American Hereford AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on sustainable genetics research in cattle, exploring how genetics may impact carbon emissions.
• Colorado Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on methane fact sheets and Methane Day events for livestock producers. Recipient of $1M grant to promote sustainable animal agriculture.
• ElancocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to reach sustainable livestock solutions, with Michelle Calvo-Lorenzo serving on Industry Innovation Working Group.
• The Nature ConservancycoreOthersNancy Labbe, Program Director, serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group providing conservation perspective.
• Aurora Organic DairycoreOthersJuan Velez serves on the Industry Innovation Working Group providing organic dairy expertise.
• Harsh InternationalminorOthersHarsh International donated a feed mixer to the AgNext Research Facility (April 2025).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy: Industry-led sustainability initiative for the US dairy sector with overlapping goals around emissions reduction and lifecycle assessment. Comparable as a dairy sustainability research/policy entity.
• UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute: University-based research program focused on agricultural sustainability with similar livestock and climate-smart research scope. Directly comparable as a land-grant university sustainability research center.
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research: Major US land-grant research arm with deep livestock, beef, and feedlot research capabilities. Comparable in scale and mission to AgNext's livestock sustainability research.
• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Large land-grant agricultural research institution with strong beef cattle, animal science, and sustainability programs — comparable academic research peer.
• Cornell CALS Department of Animal Science: Ivy-league animal science department with active dairy and beef sustainability research. Comparable as an academic animal agriculture research peer.

Broad incumbents

• Elanco Animal Health: Global animal health company with sustainability initiatives and an Industry Innovation Working Group partner. Comparable as an incumbent animal health/sustainability stakeholder.
• Cargill: Global agribusiness with beef supply chain sustainability programs and a $1M research funder of AgNext. Comparable as an incumbent that both funds and competes in livestock sustainability science.

Regional players

• Rothamsted Research: UK-based long-running agricultural research institute with livestock systems and sustainability research. Comparable in mission but focused on UK/European livestock systems.

Others

• Environmental Defense Fund: Environmental NGO with agricultural sustainability programs and a seat on AgNext's Industry Innovation Working Group. Comparable as a science-driven partner addressing enteric methane and livestock sustainability.
• Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research: Nonprofit funding body that channels public and private dollars into agricultural research, including livestock sustainability. Comparable as a research funding ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@csuagnext
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSUAgNext
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csu-agnext
• Instagraminstagram.com/csuagnext

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 AgNext at Colorado State University