Farm management software Herdwatch has announced the acquisition of Lilac Technology, renowned for their TB Master software, and ComTag, a vet software company in Ireland, in a deal worth seven figures.
Herdwatch, which was established in the UK in 2016, says it expects the acquisition to accelerate its plans to provide software solutions in the veterinary space.
This latest acquisition will see over 1,000 British and Irish veterinary professionals join the Herdwatch platform.
The deal will see Lilac and ComTag employees join Herdwatch’s team of more than 80 people.
The firm says the deal also further strengthens its 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.
Ireland-based ComTag supplies TB and blood testing software solutions for veterinary practices across the island of Ireland.
With this latest acquisition, Herdwatch continues its rapid expansion less than a year after the company completed its acquisition of Farmplan’s livestock software.
The company says they are planning further announcements in the coming months.
Mel Griffith, UK growth manager at Herdwatch said: “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.”
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 awards for its software platform, including the prestigious Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) Prince Philip Award in 2016.
