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Improving the lives of others: The story behind 701x CEO Kevin Biffert

(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series on the speakers from the “Spark your Innovation” event at North Dakota State College of Science)


Kevin Biffert grew up as a middle child of 15 siblings on a farm in North Dakota, west of Killdeer. Life was noisy, gritty and full of lessons, many of which he learned from his mother, who managed the chaos of a large household while helping keep the farm operational.


“As the middle child, I saw how hard my mom worked to make things run and bring in money,“ Biffert said with a laugh. “She probably influenced me more than anyone else.”

That grit carried Biffert from rural roots to tech entrepreneurship. Today, as a President and CEO of 701x, Biffert is leading a quiet revolution in the cattle industry.


The company, based in Fargo, builds solar-powered livestock tracking devices and intuitive software that gives ranchers real-time information about their herds, like health, behavior and even calving activity.


But Biffert’s story didn’t start with success, it started with sweat.


Biffert’s parents grew everything themselves. They didn’t even get Social Security numbers for the kids until after they were all born, unsure if they would survive. He knew all of his siblings’ numbers, and they were sequential.


“What we got instilled in us was hard work. If the sun came up, you got up. And the sun went down, you went to bed because then you couldn’t get up the next morning early enough,” he said. “We all worked very hard at that time and my parents made sure we always had food and clothes.”


When his mother passed away during his senior year of high school, Biffert stayed home for two years to help his father get back on his feet and came to North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) in 1988 for a degree in instrumentation, electronics and electrical. After graduating from NDSCS, he was hired by 3M in Wahpeton as a programmer.


He worked full-time while earning an engineering degree from the University of North Dakota.


In 1996, that drive led him to launch Fargo Automation Inc., an engineering company that made high-speed automated machines, including systems that packed over 300 glass syringes per minute.


After selling the company to a German-based company in 2017, Biffert turned his energy toward an entirely new frontier: agriculture tech. 701x was born out of a desire to improve efficiency in the ranch, especially for those families who still work the land.


In March 2020, right when COVID-19 hit, Biffert launched 701x. He purposely started during a downtime, knowing skilled talent would be available due to layoffs.


“I saw a need for cattle tracking and traceability of livestock,” said Biffert. “We started making products and we had a lot of people including experts in the industry saying you cannot make this work …. and the more they told me no, the more I knew I was going to make it work.”


701x builds wearable devices that track cattle movements, behavior and vital signs. These aren’t just ear tags, they’re intelligent sensors that communicate through Bluetooth and satellite.


“We can tell if a calf is drinking milk, if it’s sick, if it’s stuck somewhere, or if it’s even been stolen,” Biffert explained. “And now with satellite connectivity, you can know all that from anywhere in the country.”


The technology has already saved a $9,000 bull from respiratory illness and has even helped reduce calf mortality.


“Cattle don’t talk. They hide illness. But we can monitor them 24/7 including heart rate, movement, even mating activity,” said Biffert.


Biffert doesn’t think of himself as a businessman as much as a builder.


“I have always liked building things myself and it doesn’t matter if it’s a house or a company or a product for a company,” Biffert said. “Especially building something that’s tangible … something that I can touch or see.”


This positive mindset helped him grow and improve. What keeps him going isn’t the money or the recognition: It’s the people.


“I’m proud of improving other people’s lives,” he said. “Whether it’s employees, customers or the folks who use our technology, if I can help make their lives better, then I’ve done something worth doing.”


Biffert’s talk at Spark Your Innovation was more than a proud pitch; it was a personal reflection. As he stood in front of students, innovators and fellow entrepreneurs, he spoke openly about his failures and triumphs, his love of building and the power of perseverance.


“I like talking to people about what I have done and how I have gotten to the full circle of improving other people’s lives,” he said. “I like sharing my story and I don’t mind giving the information on some of the details of what I have done if that helps someone.”


When asked what advice he would give to someone just starting their own business Biffert said, “Never give up, if you have a passion to do something and you feel strongly about it, never give up.”


 
 
 

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