Bill Gates’ Company Invests $12M Into Startup To Reduce Methane From Cow Burps

Cows, along with species like goats and deer, produce methane when their stomachs break down hard fibers like grass for digestion.

Photo Credit: Getty Images
Photo Credit: Getty Images

Through his energy company, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Bill Gates invested approx $12 million in Australian start-up Rumin8, which purportedly aims to reduce methane emissions from the burps of cows and other animals.

Cows, along with species like goats and deer, produce methane when their stomachs break down hard fibers like grass for digestion. That methane can then be expelled in the form of burps or flatulence. The start-up company claimed to be developing a dietary supplement the animals can take, which will then help stop the creation of the gas.

“We have been very pleased with the reception we have received from climate impact funds around the world,” Rumin8's Managing Director David Messina said. “There is a genuine desire to fund solutions to enteric methane emissions from livestock and fortunately for Rumin8, they can see the benefits of our technology.”