Investing In Distynct

Posted on October 4, 2022 at 2:20 PM by Ashley Hunt

This is part of a series where we explore the innovation behind our portfolio companies and the defining reasons we offered investments.

There are more than 60,000 pork farms across the country. Yet almost every swine facility lacks reliable network connectivity. This makes it almost impossible to monitor and manage a farm’s two most important assets: the people and the pigs.

A common complaint among the industry is that there is no ability to proactively manage the facility, and a lack of visibility on even the most basic facility conditions, from temperature and feed ability to manure pit levels and even worker presence. Thus, farmers managing swine facilities are forced to reactively respond to situations, rather than offer proactive, protective, management.

Increased technology in the agricultural sector is helping farmers make better, more sustainable decisions to maximize their yields – and Distynct’s solution can do the same for producers.

Distynct establishes a secure, reliable connection to rural swine facilities, providing a way for farmers to proactively manage their assets in real time. Online and mobile dashboards are user friendly and easily accessible, allowing farmers to collect data and turn it into actionable solutions.

Next Level Ventures has recently offered a second investment to Distynct.

“What made Distynct stand out to us was the founder and team,” said Liz Keehner at Next Level Ventures. “Distynct’s founder, BJ Brugman, has a background that lends itself well to the industry and he’s encountered the problems that producers were facing throughout his career.”

Data is basically another form of currency in many industries today, and that’s no different in the ag sector. Distynct revolutionizes the way we can collect data on farms. Today, everything logged in a hog barn is most likely on paper or in an Excel spreadsheet. Distynct’s sensor technology can inform producer decisions in real-time by pulling information from everything happening inside the barn. This data is critical to ensuring properly cared for, making sure barns are operating efficiently and helping producers manage risks.

Distynct users today can connect the technology to existing devices and sensors already in the site, and their new smart alarm feature elevates the customer’s ability to monitor and manage their facilities. The ag startup is continuing to expand its services, testing new data, and refining the product to offer the highest quality solution to consumers.

The success and potential growth of the company is also highlighted by recent recognitions. Distynct was recently announced as a finalist in the Technology Association of Iowa’s Prometheus Awards in the AgTech Company of the Year and 2022 Startup Tech Company of the Year categories.

"What Distynct is doing is exciting because it bridges the gap between technology and traditional ag,” added Keehner. “Swine production is behind the curve when you compare it to the rate of technology adoption in crop production, and Distynct offers a much-needed solution.”