Seven UK businesses get £80,000 each to use on satellite data and AI projects to tackle real-world agricultural and environmental issues.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Innovate UK have awarded funding to seven British businesses so that they can develop space-based technologies to help farmers.
Photo by Lawrence Hookham / Unsplash
The seven companies were among 50 applicants to a ‘hackathon’ run by Defra and Innovate UK, which brought together representatives from government, industry and academia and challenged them to find solutions to pressing challenges to the sector.
Among the winning seven is x10NI, which builds digital farm simulations that provide farmers with real-time data to manage soil health, cut input costs and keep environmental reporting on track. Another winner, Gentian, uses AI-powered satellite analysis to track wildlife habitats and biodiversity changes. That means environmental risk assessments can be made more quickly, while reducing reliance on expensive site visits
Then there’s Ocean OS, which uses satellite data to automatically map marine habitats and species, providing regulators with the information they need to more rapidly approve offshore wind farms and get clean energy projects built.
The seven winning companies will each receive £80,000 in ‘space commercialisation credits’ and expert support from the Satellite Applications Catapult to bring their products to market over the next year.
Dame Angela Eagle MP, Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, says: ‘Space data and AI are transforming how we produce food and grow our economy. These seven teams have shown what is possible when government, industry, and academia work together. I look forward to seeing their ideas develop into products that benefit farmers, communities, and the environment.’
Gary Cutts, Executive Director for Digital and Technologies at Innovate UK, adds: ‘Innovation‑led growth is central to the UK’s economic future. By backing businesses that apply space and AI technologies to real agricultural and environmental challenges, we are strengthening food security, supporting nature recovery, and creating the conditions for high‑potential firms to secure private investment and scale.’
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