Verility Inc. Validates AI-Based Fertility Tech for Sow Insemination, Showing Positive ROI
INDIANAPOLIS — Verility Inc., a central Indiana-based ag tech startup, announced positive results from a recent study validating its AI-based fertility analysis technology, Fertile-Eyez. The study, which involved 400 sows, demonstrated that the platform led to improved efficiency and a strong return on investment in sow insemination protocols.
Verility CEO Liane Hart stated that the use of the patented Fertile-Eyez technology resulted in a 1.6 return on investment for swine breeders and producers. Hart, who holds advanced degrees in animal sciences and breeding and genetics from Purdue University, highlighted the platform’s efficiency.
“Both protocols delivered comparable performance, but the Verility protocol ultimately required only an average of 1.15 inseminations per sow compared to two per the standard breeding protocol,” Hart explained. “So a single insemination using Fertile-Eyez as part of the protocol had a comparable rate to traditional double insemination.”
Key Benefits of Fertile-Eyez in Sow Insemination
The study revealed several key advantages of incorporating Fertile-Eyez into sow insemination protocols when compared to traditional methods:
- A 40% reduction in semen doses.
- A 45% reduction in boar heat tests.
- A 20% reduction in boar exposure days.
- A 38% pregnancy rate in non-standing heat sows, which are often not inseminated.
- A 24% reduction in overall system labor.
- A reduction in nonproductive sow days.
- A 91% overall conception rate.
“This may prove to be an additional benefit in settings where, today, pregnancy rates are below desired levels,” Hart noted.
Leveraging AI for Genetic Improvement
These findings, according to Hart, also create opportunities for genetic advancement within herds. “These results provide an opportunity to use high-indexing boar semen to accelerate genetic improvement in each herd,” she said. “Because we used fewer semen doses, we can now use the higher-indexing boars, which delivers a more productive and highly improved genetic-quality animal.”
Industry Partnerships and Future Plans
AcuFast, a provider of swine reproductive solutions, partnered with Verility by providing animals and oversight for the study. Amanda Minton, AcuFast’s manager of swine reproductive solutions, expressed enthusiasm for the results.
“We have never seen results this positive with other ovulation interventions,” Minton said. “An additional benefit is that Fertile-Eyez is a diagnostic that works with the biology of the animal and not a hormone that is used to force ovulation.”
Verility has secured the final tranche of a $4 million funding round from Mountain Group Partners, a venture capital firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. Rob Readnour, managing director at Mountain Group Partners, is optimistic about the potential of Verility’s technology.
“We are very excited about the progress and potential of Verility to transform production animal fertility through its Fertile-Eyez diagnostic and analytics platform,” Readnour stated. “We believe that Fertile-Eyez will play an important role in reducing labor and increasing production efficiency while accelerating genetic progress going forward.”
Looking ahead, Hart plans to share the study results with breeders and producers and conduct customer trials throughout 2025 and into 2026.
Technology and Innovation
Verility holds exclusive licensing rights to intellectual property developed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. The company’s technology, with applications in human and animal health, leverages AI for ovulation detection and semen analysis.
“Now the technology has been validated across multiple species and applications,” Hart said. “These AI-driven technologies enable ovulation detection and semen analysis, leveraging smartphone-enabled solutions to deliver unprecedented accuracy and accessibility. Our portfolio includes issued patents across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. “With applications in both human and animal health, our technology stands at the forefront of reproductive diagnostics, empowering users with next-generation solutions that drive scientific advancement and global accessibility.”
Verility is a Purdue Strategic Ventures portfolio company, located in Maxwell, Indiana.
The ‘Holy Grail’ and Future Focus
Hart mentioned that the sow ovulation market represents the “Holy Grail” of animal breeding. In order to solve the complex biological process that can have much variability, Verility is focusing on ovulation.
“The traditional way to determine which animals to inseminate and when has been done the same way for decades, whereas our work has validated the use of pioneering technology and data to make the process simpler, faster, and more efficient and profitable for breeders and producers.”
About Verility Inc.
Verility Inc. is focused on disrupting and optimizing breeding and fertility in animal health. The company uses image recognition and proprietary algorithms in the global animal health breeding markets. More information about the company is available online.
About Mountain Group Partners
Mountain Group Partners (“MGP”) is dedicated to investing in and guiding transformational businesses in the life sciences, animal health, and technology sectors.
About Purdue Strategic Ventures
Purdue Strategic Ventures provides support and investment opportunities for Purdue-connected, venture-scale startups.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university.
