With each of our innovator stories, we get a chance to meet the people behind EU-funded ideas, which have the potential to change our future for the better.
Following Dealflow.eu’s Food and Agri Tech E-pitching Event held on July 2024, eggXYt was elected the best pitch and we reached Yehuda Elram, co-founder and CEO of the company, to learn more about this startup’s groundbreaking innovation.
eggXYt makes layer chickens sex-detectable, ending the practice of male chick culling, which claims billions of lives annually. Their bioconvergent solution involves chickens with a sex-detectability trait and an electro-optical scanner. This technology allows rapid, accurate detection of male chicks in freshly laid eggs, without damaging the shell.
Behind eggXYt’s technological advancements is a dedicated team led by Head of Research, Dr. Eliran Kadosh, and COO, Inbal Doron. Dr. Kadosh spearheads the scientific exploration and development of eggXYt’s innovative solutions, ensuring the technology’s effectiveness and precision. Meanwhile, Doron’s strategic leadership ensures seamless operations and facilitates the company’s growth and commercialization efforts. Their combined expertise is crucial in driving eggXYt’s mission to revolutionize the poultry industry.
eggXYt received EUR 2.5M in funding from Horizon 2020.
“Our vision is to create a more ethical and sustainable poultry industry, starting with the elimination of male chick culling.”
Tell us more about yourself and your work?
I am Yehuda Elram, the co-founder and CEO of eggXYt. Based in the vibrant city of Jerusalem, Israel, our company is dedicated to revolutionising the food industry, making it more ethical and sustainable.
What problem is your product solving and what makes its solution unique?
Our groundbreaking technology tackles the pressing issue of sex-detection in chicken embryos. Today, the inability to efficiently determine the sex of embryos before hatching results in the culling of over 7 billion day-old male chicks each year. eggXYt’s innovative solution promises to end this practice. We develop a sex-detectable chicken line harbouring a fluorescent biomarker on the male chromosome, together with a complementary scanning device that sorts freshly laid eggs based on this marker. This process identifies and removes male embryos prior to any incubation time, therefore sparring the need to hatch and cull the males. Critically, as the biomarker is located on the male chromosome, laying females, together with their table eggs, remain untouched and free from any genetic modification.
How did you start your journey, and where are you now on the road to achieving your ambition?
In 2016, I joined forces with Prof. Dani Offen [pictured above], a visionary neuroscientist from Tel Aviv University. As the grandson of chicken farmers, I was instantly inspired by Dani’s idea to use CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to solve a monumental problem in poultry farming. Together, we founded eggXYt and have made incredible strides towards making this dream a reality. We are now on the path of commercialising our solution, which will transform the egg industry.
What is the biggest impact EU-funding has had on your journey so far, and can you specify an outcome?
In 2019, eggXYt was honoured to receive a prestigious Horizon 2020 grant of approx. EUR 2.5M. This invaluable funding propelled us forward in developing seXYt, our cutting-edge electro-optical scanning device. Thanks to this support, we created a fully operational lab prototype that is evolving into a complete industrial prototype.
What is eggXYt’s greatest achievement to date?
eggXYt’s technology has been recognised by the industry, garnering numerous international awards, including the Horizon 2020, MassChallenge, and MIT Solve. These accolades are a testament to our hard work, dedication, and the transformative potential of our technology, placing us at the forefront of innovation.
How do you see eggXYt making a difference in the future?
Our vision is to create a more ethical and sustainable poultry industry, starting with the elimination of male chick culling. Beyond this, we aspire to tackle other critical challenges in poultry and livestock, such as enhancing resistance to viral pathogens, which not only affect animal health but also pose significant risks to humans.
Why is participating in Dealflow.eu’s e-pitching event and receiving their coaching important to you?
Dealflow.eu has been instrumental in providing us with deep insights and invaluable connections. Participating in their e-pitching event has opened doors to potential collaborators and investors, fuelling eggXYt’s mission and helping us accelerate our impact.
How would you define success and what keeps you going in the pursuit of it?
We define success as making a tangible difference in the world, creating a better and more ethical environment for both humans and animals. What drives us is the knowledge that implementing eggXYt’s technology can save 70,000 male chicks during the time it takes to read this article. This powerful impact is what keeps our passion and commitment alive every day.
Article published by EurA AG.
About Innovator Spotlight Stories
The aim of innovator stories is to highlight and share with investors and relevant stakeholders in the industry, insights, and unique stories from some of the most innovative EU-funded project that Dealflow.eu is proud to support.
If you are an investor who wants to connect with eggXYt, please feel free to reach out at [email protected]
More about Dealflow.eu
Supported by the European Commission, Dealflow.eu discovers and supports the most promising EU-funded innovators and connects them with relevant investors and corporates. The initiative was launched to help groundbreaking innovations secure the funding needed for their future commercialisation by offering them tailored support and matchmaking services.
To learn more about Dealflow.eu, visit https://dealflow.eu/
Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
