Craig Piggott and Halter: Bringing Virtual Fencing to the Farm

Halter’s virtual fencing system grew from founder Craig Piggott’s experience of farming in the Waikato and his interest in applying engineering to an enduring agricultural challenge.

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A problem rooted in the paddock

Craig Piggott grew up on a dairy farm in Matamata and later worked at Rocket Lab. Halter’s own account describes how he returned his attention to agriculture and began developing a system that uses GPS-enabled collars and software to manage livestock movement without relying solely on physical fences.

Agtech must work in real conditions

Virtual fencing is more than a clever device. It has to operate across large properties, withstand weather and connectivity constraints, fit into farm routines and demonstrate practical value to farmers. The commercial test is whether the technology makes day-to-day farm management more useful, not simply whether the demonstration looks impressive.

From New Zealand farms to wider markets

Halter’s public materials describe expansion beyond New Zealand, including into the United States. That creates opportunity as well as operational complexity: different farming systems, regulation, customer expectations and support requirements. The company’s journey is a strong example of Aotearoa’s agricultural knowledge meeting software, hardware and international ambition.

Sources and further reading

• Halter: Our story and Craig Piggott’s background
• Halter: Craig Piggott on virtual fencing
• Crunchbase: Halter

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