CH4 Global wins AgTech Startup of the Year for methane-cutting feed innovation

USA – CH4 Global, a biotechnology company developing climate-smart solutions for livestock, has been named “AgTech Startup of the Year” in the 2025 AgTech Breakthrough Awards. 

The accolade, announced on August 21, recognises the company’s flagship innovation Methane Tamer™, a feed additive designed to slash methane emissions from cattle.

The award highlights CH4 Global’s leadership in sustainable livestock practices at a time when agriculture faces mounting pressure to reduce its climate footprint. 

Methane, a greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over 20 years, is responsible for a significant share of global livestock emissions.

CH4 Global’s solution harnesses Asparagopsis, a red seaweed native to southern Australian and New Zealand waters. 

When incorporated into cattle feed at just 0.5% of the diet, the additive disrupts an enzymatic process in the animal’s digestive system, reducing methane emissions by up to 90%. The product is scientifically validated, safe, and developed through a proprietary cultivation and processing method.

“Our solution plays a vital role in helping the world meet its climate commitments,” said CH4 Global CEO Dr Steve Meller. 

“We understand what is required to create a viable solution that is carefully balanced to work for all parties – from food producers and farmers to consumers and governments, while also ensuring quality and efficacy are front and centre.”

Expanding product pipeline and global reach

The company’s lead formulation, Methane Tamer™ Beef Feedlot, targets feedlot operations, delivering a standardised 75% reduction in emissions throughout its shelf life. 

Additional versions are being developed for dairy feedlot, grazing dairy, grazing beef, sheep, and goats, expanding the product’s potential impact across the livestock sector.

Earlier this year, CH4 Global opened the world’s first pond-based, commercial-scale EcoPark for cultivating Asparagopsis in Louth Bay, South Australia. 

The facility, which reduces operational costs by up to 90% compared with conventional seaweed farming, is a cornerstone of the company’s strategy to scale production sustainably. 

Strategic partnerships with major agricultural and food companies are also helping accelerate adoption across supply chains.

“We’re grateful to AgTech Breakthrough for this award as we continue to innovate in the name of sustainable agriculture,” Meller added. “Our work paves the way to move from intention to action to meaningful impact, addressing global methane with proven and available solutions.”

Recognition for global AgTech leadership

Now in its fifth year, the AgTech Breakthrough Awards program, run by international market intelligence firm AgTech Breakthrough, celebrates the most innovative technologies and companies driving change in agriculture. 

With thousands of nominations submitted annually, the awards recognise leaders in areas ranging from AI-driven crop analytics to sustainable inputs and autonomous equipment.

“CH4 Global stands at the intersection of environmental stewardship and agricultural innovation, offering a natural, scalable, and economically viable tool to combat climate change,” said AgTech Breakthrough Managing Director Bryan Vaughn. 

“By aligning economic viability with environmental responsibility, CH4 Global’s sustainable production model can scale globally and make a lasting impact on our planet’s future.”

With the award, CH4 Global cements its position as a front-runner in the rapidly evolving AgTech and ClimateTech sectors.

As the livestock industry faces growing scrutiny over emissions, the company’s innovation underscores how biotechnology can provide practical, science-based solutions to one of the most urgent climate challenges.

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