701x, a North Dakota-based agricultural technology company focused exclusively on the beef cattle industry, announced the successful close of an oversubscribed $10 million Series B funding round. The company also revealed that it has reached profitability, expanded its leadership team, and is accelerating international growth as demand for its livestock technology platform continues to increase across North America.
Founded in Fargo, North Dakota, 701x has spent the past six years developing a connected technology ecosystem designed specifically for beef cattle producers. The company’s platform combines ranch management software, breed association tools, smart wearable devices, DNA solutions, and related products into a unified system that helps ranchers monitor and manage herd performance.
Unlike many technology companies that rely on venture capital financing, 701x said its Series B round was funded entirely by individual investors. Participants included North Dakota and Minnesota residents, members of the broader Minneapolis region, and ranchers across the United States who actively use the company’s products and services. The company emphasized that no venture capital firms or institutional investors participated in the financing.
A key component of the 701x ecosystem is its xTpro smart ear tag, a GPS-enabled livestock-monitoring device that uses direct-to-satellite connectivity to provide ranchers with real-time information regardless of the herd’s location. The wearable technology delivers alerts related to animal location, health conditions, fertility cycles, calving activity, and other critical herd management indicators.
The funding announcement comes as 701x reports reaching its first profitable month. The company noted that it continues to invest heavily in research and development, with current priorities including modernizing an acquired registry software platform and developing a comprehensive feedlot management system.
The company has also focused on manufacturing efficiency. By implementing robotics and automation across its production operations, 701x reports a 75% reduction in assembly costs for its xTpro smart ear tags. The company attributes this progress in part to the manufacturing experience of founder and CEO Kevin Biffert, who previously founded the automation equipment manufacturer Fargo Automation and sold the business to Körber Medipak in 2017.
Looking beyond the United States, 701x is pursuing an aggressive international expansion strategy. The company is already operating in Canada and plans to launch in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Brazil before the end of the year. The expansion is intended to position 701x as a global technology platform serving beef cattle producers across multiple continents.
The company believes its integrated approach differentiates it from traditional agricultural technology providers by offering a comprehensive suite of products and services designed specifically for cattle operations rather than standalone tools that address only individual needs.
KEY QUOTE:
“701x was founded because the beef industry deserves better technology — not outdated or single function piecemeal tools, but a connected ecosystem designed specifically for cattle producers. 701x provides tools with the greatest ROI by targeting ranchers true pain points – fertility and health metrics for their cattle. Closing an oversubscribed round funded by our neighbors, our community, and our own customers is the kind of validation that means the most to us. This is just the beginning.”
Kevin Biffert, CEO, 701x
