FuturHerd Solutions

BY Brooke Parrish

One of the most critical challenges in the swine industry is ensuring piglets get off to a healthy start after weaning.

Transitioning piglets from their mother can be an incredibly stressful process. Piglets may struggle to adjust to the nursery and stop moving around and eating.

In fact, nursery mortality in the United States is estimated to result in $2 billion in annual losses.

My co-founder Aaron Holliday noticed this need firsthand. He spent countless hours before sunrise and long after sunset walking the pens, wondering how much of a difference he could make if he had more time to get the pigs up and active.

As his frustration grew, he thought, like many entrepreneurs, that there had to be a better way.

Fast-forward to last year. Aaron nervously walked into a help session for the Governor’s New Venture competition, a pitch competition he had heard about on the local news.

He shared his idea with Dr. Sam Nelson, unsure what to expect.

To Aaron’s surprise, Dr. Nelson not only shared his excitement but also provided the next steps.

That conversation gave Aaron the enthusiasm and confidence he needed to finally take the leap.

But reality set in during the hour-and-a-half drive back to Columbus.

How could he make this work while juggling a full-time job in the swine industry, pursuing a master’s degree, and serving as an active state board member for the Nebraska Pork Producers Association?

That’s when he picked up the phone and called me, his university lab mate and someone he had worked on swine research trials with.

He asked if I had any interest in competing and what I thought of the innovation.

I was excited about the opportunity and understood its potential impact on the swine industry.

Just like that, FuturHerd Solutions was born.

The Nursery Nanny

Our flagship product is the Nursery Nanny.

The Nursery Nanny is a robotic device designed to stimulate piglets. It encourages them to move around and seek out feed and water, ultimately improving their health and growth. By reducing piglet mortality by an estimated 1%, the Nursery Nanny can save pig farmers over $418 million annually.

Through automation, the Nursery Nanny also gives caretakers valuable time back, allowing them to focus on other essential aspects of herd management.

It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Early Wins and Challenges

Since starting FuturHerd Solutions, we’ve had some significant wins.

Earning the LaunchLNK grant and funding from the Husker Venture Fund were two of our most significant accomplishments to date.

When we found out that we had received the LaunchLNK grant, we were absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful.

With so many incredible innovators in the area, it is truly an honor to be one of the six companies selected.

It’s amazing to have our vision recognized and supported in this way.

These funds provide the crucial financial kickstart to accelerate our journey from idea to reality.

In combination with other funding we’ve secured, this support will enable us to complete a thorough documentation phase with our developer. During this phase, we can virtually map out the Nursery Nanny and gather valuable user feedback before the physical development of the prototype begins.

The prototype development will move us one step closer to getting into the first pig barn in Nebraska.

Of course, like any startup, we’ve faced our fair share of challenges as well.

One of the biggest hurdles we’ve had to overcome is navigating the entrepreneur world while also gaining the technical knowledge needed to bring our innovation to life.

As newcomers to this space, we’ve experienced a steep learning curve, but we’ve embraced it wholeheartedly.

Fortunately, we’ve been surrounded by incredible mentors and experts who are generous with their guidance and support.

The developer we’ve chosen is the perfect fit for our vision, giving us confidence that the Nursery Nanny will be built the right way.

Above all, we’ve learned the importance of asking questions.

There’s so much that we don’t know, so seeking advice and staying curious is so important.

We know there will be more challenges ahead, but we're ready to face them head-on with the support of our mentors, experts, and the incredible community surrounding us. We're excited about the potential impact our innovation can have on the swine industry and the livestock farming community as a whole.

Looking Ahead

As we continue to develop the Nursery Nanny and work toward our goal of being in the first pig barn in Nebraska, we remain committed to our mission of being at the forefront of technology and innovation that supports the future of sustainable livestock farming.

We know there will be more challenges ahead, but we’re ready to face them head-on with the support of our mentors, experts, and the incredible community surrounding us.

We’re excited about the potential impact our innovation can have on the swine industry and the livestock farming community as a whole.