TB Master joins Herdwatch to create single platform for farmers and vets

Herdwatch, the market leading Agtech software company based in Newport, England, has announced the acquisition of Lilac Technology, renowned for their TB Master software in the UK, and another vet software company in Ireland, ComTag, in a deal believed to be worth seven figures. Herdwatch expects the acquisition to accelerate its plans to provide software solutions in the veterinary space, adding to its existing portfolio of veterinary practice management software from another recent acquisition. This latest acquisition will see over 1,000 British and Irish veterinary professionals join the Herdwatch platform. The deal also further strengthens Herdwatch’s position as the number one livestock management software platform in the UK.

Lilac Technology was founded in the UK over 20 years ago by Andrew Cobner and Ian Lorraine, offering its TB and blood testing software, TB Master, to customers mainly in England and Wales. ComTag supplies TB and blood testing software solutions for veterinary practices across the island of Ireland. Together, they attracted a client base of over 1,000 veterinary professionals and are known for their focus on speed and reliability, with their easy-to-use software running on military-grade rugged devices. These devices are built to cope with the harsh environment that is the farmyard.

Herdwatch was founded in 2012 and provides software solutions to over 20,000 farms, including dairy, beef and suckler farmers as well as sheep and goat farmers. The company has won many awards for its software platform including the prestigious Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) Prince Philip Award in 2016. The company recently released a pasture and field management solution, Grass & Crops by Herdwatch. The Herdwatch platform is now available in over 170 countries worldwide, with a specific emphasis on North America, where the establishment of a dedicated team has led to significant traction and promising growth.

With this latest acquisition, Herdwatch continues its rapid expansion less than a year after the company completed its acquisition of Farmplan’s livestock software customers in the UK and 8 months after acquiring Irish farm software company Kingswood Computing. The company say they are planning further announcements in the coming months.

The deal will see Lilac and ComTag employees join Herdwatch’s growing team of more than 80 people, where they will continue to support their respective customers. New developments will be coming soon, giving veterinary customers access to the continuous innovations Herdwatch is known for, including its advanced cloud technology. Over time, existing Herdwatch members will also benefit from a solution that will seamlessly link their farm operations with their vet, one of their most critical partners.

“Having been a practicing vet myself for over 30 years, I know first-hand how tough but also how important a job it is. With TB Master, we helped make vets’ lives easier for over 20 years, and I am very confident the Herdwatch team will take it to the next level.”

Andrew Cobner, founder of Lilac Technology

“Lilac were pioneers in the AgTech field with their TB Master software, and the leadership of its founders resulted in some of the earliest tech solutions for vets. The vet-farmer relationship is critical in food production, therefore it makes sense for Herdwatch to join the dots and bring farmers and vets together in the same digital ecosystem.”

Mel Griffith, UK Growth Manager at Herdwatch

The Herdwatch app consisting of their Cattle & Dairy, Sheep & Goats and Grass & Crops solutions is available for download on the App Store or Play Store today, or explore further details at www.herdwatch.com.

ENDS.

About Herdwatch

Herdwatch is a true success story in the AgTech sector, having become the number 1 livestock management software in the UK since it was launched in 2014. Since then, Herdwatch has made its name delivering a simple, easy to use and reliable app which saves farmers an average of 3 hours a week on paperwork.

• Founded in 2012 by FRS Network (Farm Relief Services) and Fabien Peyaud
• Launched in February 2014
• Won the Prince Philip Innovation Award in 2016
• Secured multi-million Euro investment in November 2022 led by Renatus Capital Partners, a Dublin-based PE firm backed by ISIF
• Farm management software which simplifies and digitalises farm compliance paperwork and provides key decision-support tools
• Saves members approx. 3 hours per week on farm paperwork 
• The Herdwatch app is very simple to adopt and easy to use 
• The Herdwatch app is suitable for dairy, beef, sheep and goat farmers.
• Annual subscription based on farm type and size
• Active farms on the platform: over 20,000 Worldwide
• Multi-award-winning and market-leading in the UK and Ireland
• Sheep & Goats management solution launched in March 2022
• Pasture & Fields management solution launched in November 2023 (Grass & Crops)
• Focusing on international growth with recent entry into US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia