In Ovo, a Dutch firm that makes technology to detect the sex of chicks before hatch, has received a loan of €40 million from the European Investment Bank.
This funding will propel the expansion of a technology it has named Ella, which determines the sex of hatching eggs at an early stage. It means hatcheries can exclusively hatch female chicks and decrease the use of valuable resources. This makes culling day-old male chicks unnecessary.
The company said the technology paves the way for an egg supply chain with an enhanced animal welfare and reduced environmental footprint.
Wouter Bruins, founder of In Ovo, comments: “We are super excited and humbled to be receiving this prestigious and fantastic support from the EIB. It will permit us to further develop our technology pipeline and become a worldwide player, positively impacting animals throughout the food production channel.”
“In Ovo’s technology represents a significant leap forward in terms of animal welfare and sustainability within the poultry sector, aligning seamlessly with the overarching priorities of EIB.” said EIB vice-president Kris Peeters. “We have consistently supported critical innovations stemming from the Netherlands in recent years, and we intend to persist in doing so, particularly in the case of environmentally significant technologies.”