Since 2022, the routine killing of male chicks has been banned in Germany, which has created the need for laying hen farms to determine the sex of chicks while they are still in the egg. Omegga has developed OmeggaOne, a non-invasive, AI-supported technology that uses spectral analysis to identify the sex of chicken embryos by the seventh day of incubation at the latest - at a time when the embryo does not yet have any sensory perception.
Unlike previously used methods, the procedure does not require any chemical or physical intervention in the egg and does not impair embryonic development. In this way, the ethically and animal welfare problematic killing of male chicks is avoided. At the same time, early sexing increases efficiency in hatcheries, as space and resources can be used in a targeted manner. In Germany alone, up to 45 million male chicks could be saved from being killed every year, which not only promotes animal welfare and sustainability, but also offers a legally compliant alternative for the industry. Find out more here.
The start-up has already secured the silver medal at the EuroTier Awards 2024, 2.4 million euros in funding from the EU's eiCAccelerator and the EXIST start-up grant. The SCE congratulates the Omegga team on this further major milestone and wishes them all the best on their future start-up journey.