Tim Hore and Andy Ramsden founded Totogen in 2021
Tim needed a pioneer and visionary with the ambition and drive to transform the commercial sheep industry through genetics. Andy needed an innovative, talented geneticist willing to challenge the accepted way of doing things. Together, alongside the rest of the Totogen team, they are bringing the power of DNA analysis to commercial sheep farmers and research partners.
In Andy's words:
The big picture with where farming's heading is that we can no longer increase hoof numbers on farms. We've got to get more efficient with the animal that we've got, and the one thing we don't have is information on all our individual ewes on a commercial farm. To lift productivity, we need to get information on the individual sheep so that we can better select our higher-performing, more efficient breeding ewes. And the breakthrough here is low-cost DNA parentage.
You can listen to Andy talk more about the history of Totogen in the video below. Read about us in the Otago Daily Times here.
Dr Tim Hore is Managing Director of Totogen and an Associate Professor at the University of Otago.
Tim’s academic research lies on the intersection between epigenetics and development - an area in which he has established an international reputation. If you are interested in Tim’s research follow this link, or this one to read about his work on Covid testing.
Tim co-founded Totogen for very personal reasons. He grew up on a sheep and beef farm on the Maniototo in Otago and his brother and sister-in-law, Ben and Vanessa, run Merino sheep on Blackstone Hill Station. Tim and Ben realised how valuable it would be to have DNA data available across the commercial flock, but also knew that the cost from existing suppliers is prohibitive, even if just to provide parentage data. Tim, along with his wife Dr Donna Bond (also a molecular biologist), brought their research skills to bear and developed a genetic testing methodology that dramatically reduces cost. In summer 2022, Totogen happily processed the first samples from Blackstone Hill! Totogen is being built on that platform, for all the other Bens and Vanessas out there.
Andy is responsible for customer relationships and business development at Totogen. He is a 4th generation sheep farmer with a long history of innovation in the sector, always with genetics at the core.
He established Headwaters in 2006 to breed ewes with high levels of good 'polyunsaturated' fat to thrive in New Zealand’s high country – Headwaters now has some 250,000 breeding ewes and 50 farmer shareholders. Andy then went from meat to wool and created and trademarked a new breed of sheep, called Astino, bred with particular characteristics and with an end-customer in mind. Andy is a passionate believer in the power of genetics to support differentiation in the sheep industry, as a way to drive value and improve profitability. Up until meeting Tim and co-founding Totogen, Andy had been frustrated at the cost to introduce DNA analysis on an individual animal basis on large-scale commercial farms. Now, with Totogen’s methodology and processes bringing the cost right down, Andy is helping commercial sheep farmers across the country to introduce DNA analysis into their development programmes.
Matt is Chairman of Totogen
Matt runs his business - Lookout Point Consulting & Coaching - from Clyde in Central Otago. He has governance roles across a range of sectors: agribusiness, professional services, construction & building services, and healthcare. Matt brings to Totogen some 30 years of experience in senior management roles in professional services, based in Germany and working across Europe, the US, and Asia. He came to New Zealand in 2013 - to Dunedin - with his wife, Ines, and six children.
Matt's role at Totogen, in addition to all that goes along with being Chair, is to bring general management skills and experience to help the business grow efficiently and sustainably. Matt is also active in the rural communities between Clyde and Ranfurly, both with agribusiness clients and as Chair of the Otago Central Rail Trail Business Network. His network of clients and contacts across the Alexandra Basin, Ida Valley, and the Maniototo are invaluable in testing the relevance and value proposition of Totogen.
