RealTimeID is a privately-owned Norwegian company, founded in 2020 by Jan Sandnes, a serial tech entrepreneur and sheep farmer known for several innovations featured on national TV, alongside a reindeer farmer. Together, they combined their expertise in livestock management, hardware, and software development to create a groundbreaking solution in precision livestock farming. RealTimeID focuses on enhancing sustainable animal welfare, health tracking, and food safety, while aligning with the strict regulatory standards of the EU.

The company was born out of new regulations introduced in 2019, which required ID marking for reindeer. This challenge presented an opportunity to revolutionize livestock identification, tracking, and welfare management. In response, the founders developed a smart ear tag capable of real-time monitoring and data collection, providing unparalleled insights into each animal's health and activity.

To further validate the solution, Norwegian authorities financed a multi-year test program to determine whether RealTimeID could reliably track reindeer across vast, remote grazing areas. The successful results confirmed the system’s accuracy and scalability, positioning RealTimeID as a disruptive innovation in the livestock industry.

With a commercial launch set for 2025, RealTimeID is poised to become a leader in precision farming. The system delivers real-time insights and an automated animal registry, empowering farmers to increase operational efficiency, enhance animal welfare, and meet regulatory compliance. This innovative technology helps farmers address modern challenges in food safety and sustainability, while reducing manual labor and improving farm productivity.

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  • The idea

    was to offer reindeer owners a suitable ear tag with more advantages than the traditional visual and RFID tags.

    The company entered into pilot customer contracts with three reindeer owners and received start-up funds from Innovation Norway.

  • Along the way

    the idea matured to include several animal species and Innovation Norway demanded that the company hire the patent board to check whether the product had "freedom to operate". Innovation Norway contributed with the financing of the patent applications prepared by a recognized European IPR law firm.

  • Our desire

    is to create an ear tag that would allow the animals to communicate important information with their owner, such as identity, location, activity and welfare information, through an ultra-light ear tag with a lifetime lifespan.