Our 2020 Recap
As we head into the new year, we’re taking some time to reflect on the year before us. It goes without saying that 2020 was a memorable year. With so much that has happened this year, we’re proud of our accomplishments, thankful for our supporters, and excited for what 2021 has in store.
In Our First Quarter…
Right out of the gates of 2020, we had two big announcements! The first was announcing our funding partnership with Sustainable Development Technology Canada to pilot our technology, receiving CAD $3.9 million. Our second announcement was VAS’s Software API will be integrated into our data system, enabling our software to synchronize with any milking equipment using VAS’s dairy herd management software, DairyComp.
World Ag Expo
Before the start of the pandemic, our team attended the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, allowing us to gain insights, form new connections, and meet dairy farmers from across the country.
Our First Rotary Parlor Install
We installed our prototype sensors on our first rotary farm! The farm, a large dairy located in Canada, will be instrumental for research, development, and testing to provide our product for future rotary farms.
In Our Second Quarter…
All-Remote Team
All three offices switched to working completely remote due to safety precautions from the pandemic. It was an adjustment at first, but our team was able to bounce back and reach our goals!
Published SomaBlog
This blog you’re reading right now was published in June this year! And since June, we’ve been able to share insights, information, and thoughts from our team.
Model Development
We made incredible advancements in our models! The results were encouraging when comparing model data to on-farm verification. For our Reproductive Model, our team was able to significantly increase model accuracy and specificity.
In Our Third Quarter…
In the summer, we launched our video series on artificial intelligence in dairy. We interviewed our CEO and CTO, Bethany Deshpande and Bharath Sudarsan respectively, our Manager of Strategic Partnerships Bryan Wattie, and dairy technology expert, Jeffrey Bewley. These conversations were not only informative but also interesting to hear the potential for precision dairy technology.
Reproductive Model On Farm
Our data is now used weekly to identify pregnant and open cows. We completed our study on our Reproductive Model involving its impact on the dairy farm, model accuracy for detecting open and pregnancy statuses, and sensitivity. (Results coming soon!)
In Our Fourth Quarter…
New Team Members
This year, we added a total of four new team members to our SomaSquad! This also included doing our first remote onboarding, which was a huge success! These new members were able to join right into projects and help the team reach their goals.
Dairy Tech Startup Spotlight and the Global Dairy Expo
In October, we were featured in two virtual events, the Dairy Tech Startup Spotlight and the Global Dairy Expo! In the Dairy Tech Startup Spotlight, we joined nine other innovative dairy startups to showcase our latest technology and solutions to an audience of over 800 dairy farmers, stakeholders, and supporters.
New Farm Installations
Rounding out the end of the year, we installed new sensors on one of our partner farms and have planned installs for 2021! These farms will help us kick off the new year and, together, we’ll help build the future of dairy technology.
Hope for Next Year
To sum up the year 2020, we feel grateful. Grateful for our hard-working team, for the encouragement from our supporters, our partner farms, and the dairy industry as a whole. As we head into the new year, we are filled with hope and determination to reach further company milestones. And with this, we wish you happy holidays and a hopeful new year ahead!