Nexa Labs Wins UC Davis Big Bang Competition, Joins Y Combinator

Nexa Labs, co-founded by TJHSST alumnus Zarif Azher, was named Comstock's magazine Startup of the Month for its implantable biosensor technology that gives cattle farmers real-time health data on livestock. The company won first prize at the 2025 UC Davis Big Bang! Competition and joined Y Combinator's Summer 2025 cohort.

Nexa's in-ear microchip implant captures vital internal signals including temperature, heart rate, blood oxygen, activity, and GPS location. The technology addresses bovine respiratory disease, the most common and costly health issue for cattle, which contributes to nearly $400 billion in global livestock disease losses annually. Unlike smart collars and ear tags that rely on surface-level data, Nexa's implant captures internal biometrics in an affordable and long-lasting system.