Helical

The genetics operating system for livestock improvement.

We build the core software infrastructure that powers modern animal and plant breeding programmes.

Our platform provides an end-to-end operating system for managing genetic and genomic (DNA) data, genomic evaluations, and decision-making at scale. We work with breed societies, breeding organisations, and commercial partners who require robust, independent systems to manage pedigrees, phenotypes, genotypes, and genetic evaluations across large, national and international populations.

At the centre of our offering is a modern data platform designed specifically for genetics. It enables organisations to securely ingest, validate, store, and govern complex breeding datasets while maintaining full ownership and control of their data. On top of this foundation, we deliver high-performance genomic evaluation and analytics capabilities that transform raw data into actionable breeding values and insights.

Our software is built for scale, auditability, and long-term continuity. It supports frequent evaluation cycles, evolving trait definitions, and integration with laboratories, research partners, and downstream tools without locking clients into proprietary data silos. This allows breeding programmes to move faster, reduce operational risk, and future-proof their genetic strategies.

We believe breeding organisations should own their data, control their evaluations, and have infrastructure that compounds in value over time. Our role is to provide the systems that make that possible.

I founded the company after an unconventional path into genomics.

In 2016 I completed a PhD in aerospace engineering, where my research focused on developing numerical methods to simulate fuel spray dynamics in rocket engines. That work involved large-scale simulation, numerical modelling, and building software that had to be both accurate and computationally efficient.

In 2017, I began applying those same skills to the genomics industry. This was through the development of a GPU-accelerated analytical engine for genetic evaluation based on advanced statistical models called BOLT.

However, it quickly became clear that the analytics were not the primary limiting factor to adoption of genomic testing. The real bottleneck was data. Breeding organisations were struggling with fragmented systems, brittle workflows, and data infrastructure that could not keep pace with advances in genomic (DNA) testing or modern evaluation methods.

To solve that problem, we built a data platform designed to work hand-in-hand with the analytical engine. Software that treats breeding data as a long-lived asset and enables organisations to fully realise the value of their genetic and genomic data.

That foundation now underpins everything we do: giving modern breeding programmes the infrastructure they need to scale, adapt, and stay in control of their data.

As a result of our work, in 2025 we were a finalist in the technology and innovation category in the Rotorua Business Awards.

Helical is now utilised by thousands of breeders across more than 40 countries in beef and dairy cattle, sheep, horses, dog, and forestry genetic applications.

Our vision is to enable any organisation with genetics data or breeding programmes to be agile, independent, and future-ready.

As technologies evolve, the ability to move quickly to introduce new traits, adapt evaluation methods and incorporate new genomic testing technologies, and respond to emerging priorities, is becoming a competitive necessity. Our goal is to provide the core infrastructure that makes this possible, allowing organisations to evolve their breeding programmes without being constrained by legacy systems or external dependencies.

We also see genetics as a critical lever for sustainability. By enabling breeding programmes to focus on traits related to efficiency, resilience, health, and survivability, our platform supports long-term gains in productivity while reducing environmental and resource pressures. These improvements compound over time and can be applied across species, production systems, and geographies.

Ultimately, we aim to provide the operating system that allows breeding organisations to align genetic progress with economic performance, environmental sustainability, and long-term industry resilience.

We operate as a fully remote, high-agency team.

Our culture is built around trust, ownership, and clarity of outcomes. Team members are expected to take responsibility for their work end-to-end from problem definition through to delivery, with minimal hierarchy and a strong bias toward action.

Reproducibility, automation, and documentation sit at the core of how we work. We prioritise systems that can be understood, audited, and extended over time, whether that is code, data pipelines, or operational processes. Clear written communication is essential in a distributed environment and allow us to move quickly without sacrificing quality.

We value people who are comfortable working across disciplines, who think in systems, and who care deeply about building infrastructure that lasts. The result is a team that is lean, technically rigorous, and aligned around long-term impact rather than short-term output.