In the fast-evolving world of agritech, a Tauranga start-up’s innovative solution is tackling one of the dairy industry’s most expensive problems.
Founded in 2021 by Liam Kampshof, Bovonic is transforming the way farmers detect and manage mastitis – a disease that costs farms tens of thousands of dollars every year.
Mastitis is one of the most pervasive and costly diseases affecting dairy cattle,” says Liam.
“Traditional methods of detection are slow, manual, and often inaccurate. By the time the disease is picked up, it often results in reduced milk quality, lower production, and costly veterinary treatment.”
Three years ago, blending his passion for farming and a background in medical engineering, Liam had an idea for a product that could detect mastitis accurately and in real-time.
And in a true showing of Kiwi ingenuity, he built a prototype of his product, QuadSense, in his garage.
Liam shared the prototype at the following Fieldays and walked away with more than 100 expressions of interest from farmers.
The positive reception was overwhelming, pushing him to raise investment, and commercialise the product.
“The response from farmers made it clear that this was something they needed,” says Liam. “That’s when I knew I was onto something big.”
Potential for global impact
QuadSense is a self-installed device that integrates into a farm’s existing milk systems. Its four sensors, placed in the milking cups, measure changes in electrical resistance, which indicate potential mastitis infection, and alert farmers within a minute.
“The feedback we’re receiving from our customers is incredibly positive. Farmers are seeing real benefits, from reduced labour hours, to healthier herds and better milk quality,” says Liam.
“It also saves the farmer countless hours and stress which, as farmers can attest to, goes a long way.”
The potential, and substantial, benefits of Quadsense to farmers across New Zealand, and overseas, won Bovonic the Excellence in Innovation award at this year’s Tauranga Business Awards 2025.
Conveyor of Judges, Jamie Lunam, says Bovonic’s technology is addressing a critical need in the dairy farming industry.
Their solution is fast, accurate, and affordable, with the potential for global impact,” says Jamie.
“The judges were particularly impressed by the user-friendly nature of QuadSense and its positive impact on animal welfare.”
Taking QuadSense international
Today, Bovonic has sold more than 1500 QuadSense units to New Zealand farms, where they’re making a tangible difference in herd health and farm productivity.
Liam credits his success with listening to his customers and continuously improving QuadSense based on their feedback.
“Each deployment has provided valuable feedback, helping us to refine and improve our products while demonstrating real-world effectiveness,” says Liam.
Bovonic’s rapid success has also been bolstered by a team with deep expertise in the dairy industry, including a board composed of industry veterans, says Liam.
“We’ve built a team that’s passionate about solving problems and innovating within the dairy industry.”
With the product taking off across New Zealand, Liam’s commitment to making dairy farming more efficient, sustainable, and profitable extends beyond here, with plans to launch QuadSense in the United Kingdom and Ireland later this year.
