16 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN August 2025 PRODUCTION BUILDING THE FUTURE OF BEEF AG TECH EMERGES FROM THE HEARTLAND KELSEY POPE | CONTRIBUTING WRITER While traditional methods of raising cattle are carried out across the country, the broad scope of technology in agriculture – from cow-calf operations through to the consumer – offers producers more and more opportunities. By adopting emerging agricultural technologies, the industry can continue to improve in areas such as profitability, time efficiency, addressing labor scarcity and gaining valuable knowledge. Brennan Costello, director at The Combine, believes there is a huge opportunity in the cattle industry, especially in Nebraska, to use and build new technology. The Combine, a part of Invest Nebraska, is an ag tech incubator supporting startup founders from across the state. Started in 2019, they have co-working space in Lincoln providing in-person support, but also engage with entrepreneurs across the state digitally. Even as a young program, they’ve supported more than 50 startups. “We exist to help build and grow ag technology startups in Nebraska,” Costello says. “It came about because Nebraska didn’t really have a front door to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses here. We are the Beef State – from cowcalf to the packing plant, we should have a place where those technologies can grow.” The incubator supports ag tech across all segments of agriculture with a goal to build companies and grow entrepreneurs in Nebraska and to progress the ag industry in the state. “I’ve always been very impressed with the caliber and level of producers that we have here, both on the cattle and the crop side,” Costello says. “So, if you’re going to build a technology company in agriculture, it just makes sense to build your company here to get close to customers who are really, really smart and talented.” GENETIC INSIGHTS FOR SAFER, HEALTHIER BEEF PRODUCTION One successful company that came from The Combine incubator just a year and a half ago is Bullseye GX, a startup focusing on targeted genetic diagnostics for livestock. The test they are most focused on is a simple, actionable test to determine the risk for heart failure in beef cattle, also known as brisket disease. Dustin Petrik, Ph.D., lab director at Bullseye GX, along with co-founder Phil Kozera, who both had several years in the biotech and ag industries, had a product that was fully developed, commercialized and ready to hit the mar-
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