Our Story

We’re Shannon Speight and Emma Black, co-founders of Black Box Co.

With more than 30 years of combined experience in beef production, we saw a problem that was hard to ignore: producers were working hard to collect valuable data on their livestock, but had no practical way to organise, analyse or act on it. Across the supply chain, enormous volumes of information were being gathered—then lost in spreadsheets, systems, or silos. It wasn’t just inefficient—it was a missed opportunity.

From living on the land and working with producers across the country we have developed a deep respect for the knowledge, legacy and hard work that generations of producers have built. We knew that any solution had to honour the way the industry works, not replace it. Black Box Co was born from a belief that technology should support producers, not disrupt them.

We launched in 2020. Within two weeks, more than 160,000 head were added to the system—exceeding our 12-month goal four times over. That early momentum showed us how ready the industry was for practical innovation, and it shaped how we built the platform: listening closely, refining quickly, and always working in step with the people on the ground.

By 2022, we’d grown from two founders to a national, on farm remote team of technical and operations experts. Today, Black Box Co is used across the entire beef supply chain, supported by specialists in genomics, fertility, nutrition, and meat science. This real-world experience ensures the insights we deliver are practical, relevant, and ready to act on—whether you’re on a farm, in a feedlot, or at a processor.

Thanks to constant input from producers, our platform has evolved from a simple set of indicators to a powerful suite of dashboards—offering analysis, clarity, and decision support at a level the livestock industry hasn’t had before.

We’re proud of how far we’ve come—but even more proud of the industry we serve. We believe in building tools that help producers do what they do best, while preserving the values that matter: independence, integrity, and leaving things better for the next generation.

This is just the beginning. Together, we’re building a smarter, more connected, and more sustainable future for Australian beef.