Closing 540 Million Yen in Series B Funding Round
“KAICO Powder for Pig” to the World
We are pleased to announce the successful closure of our Series B funding round, securing a substantial 540 million yen. This achievement is a testament to the unwavering support and belief in our mission to revolutionize animal health through cutting-edge oral vaccines technology.
KAICO has continued to develop products that benefit the health of humans and animals, including orally administrable vaccines. Our in-house developed product “KAICO Powder for Pig” (feed additive, hereafter: KAICO Powder), which supports pig immunity, has now been registered as a feed additive with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
KAICO Powder can be stored and distributed at room temperature, and health maintenance can be expected simply by mixing it with feed. Compared to the current practice of vaccine injections for each individual pig, this not only eliminates the need for materials such as syringes but also reduces the work time required for administration by approximately 90%. In recent years, issues such as excessive labor in livestock farming and animal welfare initiatives have become challenges, but we have received many expressions of expectation from livestock farmers as a product that offers significant benefits to both the people administering it and the pigs receiving it.
With this funding, we will expand production facilities and develop mass production capabilities to accelerate our efforts to gain market share in Vietnam, our initial market.
Future Development
After launching KAICO Powder in Vietnam, we have been working to establish commercial channels in candidate countries for expansion to other nations, primarily in Asia. In terms of product lineup, we are also developing orally administrable products not only for pigs but also for aquaculture and companion animals, each transitioning from the demonstration experiment phase to the commercialization phase.
In conjunction with the commercialization of KAICO Powder, we are also securing suppliers of silkworms, which are the raw material for this product. As KAICO’s business grows, the sericulture industry, which has been on a path of decline in Japan, will be revitalized, and the increase in the area planted with mulberry trees, which serve as food for silkworms, is expected to reduce CO2.
With KAICO’s technology, we will contribute to animal health, improve the productivity of livestock and aquaculture farmers who live with animals, and also contribute to global greening.