TL;DR

Seven British businesses have won a share of £560,000 in government funding to develop space and AI technologies for farming. Selected from 50 applicants following a Defra and Innovate UK hackathon, each winner receives £80,000 in Space Commercialisation Credits plus support from the Satellite Applications Catapult.

The Winners

The funding follows a hackathon that brought together government, industry, and academia to tackle agricultural and environmental challenges using satellite data and AI. Three standout winners show the range of applications:

x10NI builds digital farm simulations giving farmers real-time data to manage soil health, reduce input costs, and keep environmental reporting on track.

Gentian uses AI-powered satellite analysis to track wildlife habitats and biodiversity changes, making environmental risk assessments faster for developers and reducing the need for expensive site visits.

Ocean OS uses satellite data to automatically map marine habitats and species, helping regulators approve offshore wind farms faster and get clean energy projects built sooner.

The Economic Case

The government cited figures showing that for every £1 Defra invests in Earth Observation research, up to £8.20 flows back into the economy. Science Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the projects demonstrate “what is possible when government, industry, and academia work together.”

The funding sits alongside a larger commitment: £120 million in productivity and innovation grants announced by Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds at this year’s NFU Conference, split between the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and the Farming Innovation Programme. The latter has supported over 630 organisations with more than £165 million in R&D funding, attracting over £58 million in private investment.

Looking Forward

Each winning team will receive expert support from the Satellite Applications Catapult to bring their products to market over the next year. For UK agricultural businesses, these projects represent a growing intersection between space technology, AI, and farming — with potential applications from soil management to biodiversity monitoring and offshore energy planning.