The Moredun Group

What The Moredun Group does

The Moredun Group is a Scottish-registered charitable organisation, founded in 1920 by Scottish farmers, dedicated to the prevention and control of infectious diseases in farmed livestock. The group operates through four interlinked entities: The Moredun Foundation (the membership and fundraising charity, SC022515), Moredun Research Institute (the research charity, SC022353), Moredun Scientific Limited (a commercial trading subsidiary offering contract research and specialist scientific services), and Pentlands Science Park Limited (a bioscience park facility). Its core technology platform is applied veterinary science — the institute has historically developed vaccines, diagnostic tests, and treatment strategies for diseases such as Louping Ill, Sheep Scab, OPA/Jaagsiekte, parasitic roundworms, Nematodirosis, Lungworm, and Equine Grass Sickness. The most prominent current pipeline asset is a next-generation Louping Ill virus vaccine, which has shown promise in research trials and is seeking £720,000 in funding for Phase 1 development, with a £250,000 match-funding pledge already in place.

The organisation's revenue mechanics are diversified across four streams: a recurring membership model serving over 9,000 farmers and veterinarians with commercially unbiased information and practical advice; donations and targeted fundraising campaigns (including the Louping Ill vaccine campaign); professional-services contract research delivered through Moredun Scientific to external industry partners; and one-off sales of scientific products. The go-to-market is community-led and education-focused, with dissemination via a website resource library, factsheets, a Substack newsletter, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube), webinars, and participation in industry events such as the NSA Sheep Event and Aquaculture Europe. The Equine Grass Sickness Fund operates as a sub-brand within the foundation, addressing a specific equine disease.

In July 2026 the Moredun Research Institute joined the National Research Organisations (NRO) Group, a UK alliance of more than 40 leading research organisations, expanding its collaborative infrastructure. The group maintains a Scotland-only operating geography for membership and donation activity but claims a global footprint for its research influence and Moredun Scientific contract services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the group operates without private equity, venture capital, or external institutional ownership.

Name

The Moredun Group

Legal name

The Moredun Foundation

Website

https://moredun.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Moredun Group is a Scottish charitable research organisation, founded in 1920, that develops vaccines, diagnostics, and treatment strategies for infectious livestock diseases and serves over 9,000 farmer and veterinarian members across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Research Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940), Veterinary Services (54194), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing (Culture/PCR/Serology) (HLAMADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories & Pathology (AFAEANAF), Diagnostics & Laboratory Services (Sampling, Necropsy, Disease Investigation) (AFACADAF)

Keywords

• Livestock disease research
• Veterinary diagnostics
• Animal vaccine development
• Contract research services
• Livestock health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Scotland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership: Moredun offers membership to farmers and vets, providing access to comprehensive and commercially unbiased information on livestock health topics along with practical animal health advice and resources.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts donations for specific research initiatives, including a £720,000 fundraising campaign for Phase 1 of the Louping Ill vaccine development. A grouse moor owner pledged £250,000 to the louping ill vaccine campaign.
3. Contract Research Services: Moredun Scientific offers specialist services including contract research to external clients.
4. Moredun Scientific Products: Sale of scientific products and services through Moredun Scientific Limited.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Moredun Group conducts research into infectious diseases of farmed livestock, developing vaccines, diagnostic tests, and improved treatment strategies. It delivers contract research and specialist scientific services through its commercial subsidiary Moredun Scientific, and provides a membership-based community service to over 9,000 farmers and veterinarians through the Moredun Foundation, along with educational resources such as factsheets and disease directories.

Product overview

The Moredun Group operates as a multi-component research and membership organization dedicated to livestock health and welfare. The core is the Moredun Research Institute, which conducts research into infectious diseases of farmed livestock and has developed vaccines, diagnostic tests, and treatment strategies. Commercial activities are conducted through Moredun Scientific, while Moredun Foundation provides membership-based information services to over 9,000 farmers and vets. The group also operates Pentlands Science Park and manages specialized research funds including the Equine Grass Sickness Fund. A notable pipeline product is the Louping Ill vaccine currently seeking funding for Phase 1 trials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Equine Grass Sickness Fund: A dedicated fund addressing Equine Grass Sickness (EGS), a debilitating and frequently fatal disease of horses, ponies and donkeys.

Products and services

• Moredun Foundation Membership Membership-based service offering for farmers and vets providing research-backed, commercially unbiased livestock health information, practical animal health advice, factsheets, and collective lobbying support for the farming industry.
• Moredun Scientific Contract Research Services Contract research and specialist scientific services delivered by Moredun Scientific Limited to external clients and agricultural industry partners, leveraging the institute's infectious disease research capabilities.
• Moredun Scientific Specialist Services Specialist scientific services provided by Moredun Scientific Limited to external clients, derived from the Moredun Research Institute's expertise in livestock disease research.
• Pentlands Science Park Science park facility supporting research and development activities in the biosciences sector, operated by Pentlands Science Park Limited as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Moredun Group.
• Louping Ill Vaccine (in development) Next-generation vaccine against Louping Ill virus for UK sheep farmers, currently in development with Phase 1 trials requiring £720,000 in funding. The vaccine has shown promise in research trials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research has led to the development of many vaccines, diagnostic tests and improved treatment strategies for farm animals across the globe
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Research Organisations (NRO) GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2026Moredun Research Institute is a partner of the newly launched National Research Organisations (NRO) Group, a UK-wide alliance bringing together more than 40 of the country's leading research organisations. This partnership positions Moredun within a collaborative network of UK research institutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA): UK government agency with regulatory and reference laboratory functions for animal disease. Comparable to Moredun in disease surveillance and diagnostic capability, but operates as a state body rather than independent charity.
• Zoetis: Largest global animal health company offering vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments across livestock species. Comparable as a vertically integrated livestock health player, though vastly larger and commercially focused.
• MSD Animal Health: Major global animal health division of Merck offering livestock vaccines and parasiticides. Comparable to Moredun's vaccine development work but operates at commercial global scale.
• Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health: Global animal health company with significant livestock vaccine portfolio. Comparable to Moredun's vaccine R&D mission, though commercially oriented and globally distributed.

Direct peers

• The Pirbright Institute: UK-based research institute focused on viral diseases of livestock and zoonotic threats. Directly comparable to Moredun as a specialist livestock infectious disease research organization serving UK farming interests.
• Royal Veterinary College: UK veterinary institution with strong livestock health research and veterinary professional training. Overlaps with Moredun in serving veterinary professionals and conducting farm animal disease research.
• Roslin Institute: University of Edinburgh animal science research institute with strengths in livestock genetics and disease. Comparable to Moredun in its livestock-focused research mission and UK academic positioning.
• Moredun Foundation (self-reference): The subject company itself, included for completeness.

Regional players

• National Farmers Union (NFU): UK farming membership organization providing representation, advice, and lobbying. Comparable to Moredun's membership-based farmer engagement model and policy influence function.
• AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board): UK statutory levy board funding research and knowledge exchange for livestock sectors. Comparable to Moredun's farmer-facing information dissemination and applied research role within the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MoredunComms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Moredun90
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMoredunFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-moredun-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 The Moredun Group