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ProtonDx has been named winner of the 2025 Tesco Agri T-Jam competition with its Dragonfly platform - a portable, rapid, and highly accurate diagnostic tool that can transform animal health and food supply chains for producers worldwide. This annual competition, in partnership with Leading Edge Only (LEO), recognises pioneering start-ups who can support its agriculture suppliers with innovation in farming and food supply.
Dragonfly tackles two of the most devastating threats to swine herd health — Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) and Swine Flu (SIV) — by delivering results on farm sites in under 30 minutes, eliminating the typical two-week wait for external lab testing.
This rapid diagnosis helps vets and producers make immediate, precise treatment decisions, improving animal welfare while greatly reducing waste and combating antibiotic overuse. The on-site testing also enables effective surveillance during animal transport, helping to prevent the spread of disease and ultimately achieve disease-free farms.
PRRSV alone costs the global pork industry an estimated $2.5 billion annually. Highly contagious Swine Flu outbreaks cause severe weight loss and respiratory distress and can reach a morbidity rate of 100%. Agriculture accounts for an estimated 70% of global antibiotic consumption, and overuse is a primary driver of antimicrobial resistance — a major threat to both human and animal health.
As part of the winning prize, Dragonfly will be deployed in a trial on up to 50 Tesco-supplying farms to detect and diagnose porcine lung infections, thus enhancing food quality and improving the food supply chain.
Bob Enck, CEO at ProtonDx, said: “We are thrilled to be selected as the winner. This partnership with Tesco provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate how our technology can help the agricultural industry use vaccines or antimicrobials in a more effective and precise way. By promoting animal welfare, reducing mortality and antibiotic use, Dragonfly will help reduce production costs, and provide great quality products to Tesco customers.”
Natalie Smith, Head of Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries at Tesco, added: “ProtonDx particularly impressed us with their revolutionary technology that will play a crucial role in the future of herd health.”
The partnership includes mentoring from Tesco’s Sustainable Agriculture & Fisheries team, membership of Agri-TechE, and a speaking slot at the REAP conference later this year.
October, 2025 - ProtonDx
