Six groundbreaking AI and data projects are affected by real-world environments due to £2 million innovative UK support
Innovate UK’s £2 million investment has successfully driven six innovative AI and data-driven projects to invest in real-world applications, bringing tangible environmental benefits while unlocking additional funding and commercial traction.
In the Natural Positive Future (IFB) program led by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), converging financing and biodiversity into part of £7 million, grants (from £250,000 to £500,000) are awarded to six projects aimed at solving major environmental challenges using AI, big data and Geoptial Intelligence.
In outstanding projects:
- Ocean Ledger improves its geospatial analysis platform to predict coastal defense degradation and shoreline erosion. Its modeling tools target insurers, councils and engineering companies that can better plan for sea level and storm surge rises. Since then, Ocean Ledger has been selected as Lloyds Laboratory, the UK’s top insurance technology accelerator.
- Tierrasphere and Huddersfield University have developed a groundbreaking AI-driven MRV (monitoring, reporting and verification) model that predicts the inorganic carbon solid phase in soil, which has been restored to 40 hectares in rural Mexico. Future versions will integrate biodiversity, retain water and social impact indicators.
- Okan and University College London have created an AI platform that quickly analyzes complex geospatial natural data, greatly improving the accuracy and speed of investor environmental due diligence.
- Caledonia climate partners and New Gradients have developed an AI-based tool that uses drone images to reduce costs and speed up peatland recovery plans. The platform has obtained mapping contracts from the Cairngorms National Park Service and contributed to the IUCN Peatland program.
- Urban Science and the Kafili County Borough Council provide a geospatial land assessment tool that embeds natural capital into local planning, helping to mitigate habitat losses and improve biodiversity outcomes at a policy level.
- Zulu Ecosystem and Severn Trent Water have launched a suite of land use optimization tools to simulate how nature-based interventions improve flood resilience, drought responses, and water quality. Their river basin model identifies areas of habitat recovery that also support carbon, biodiversity and water management goals.
Catherine Makin, head of innovation at Green Finance at Innovate UK, said the projects have proven strong use cases: “Each project meets crucial environmental needs – from coastal conservation to resilience and peatland recovery. We are pleased to see that in the unlocking of investments that are nature-enhancing and the fact that several projects have attracted subsequent financing, we are happy to be able to achieve it.”
These projects also show strong business commitments. Two have already held talks with new investors, while several have obtained contracts or pilot programs to expand their reach.
Paige Roepers, CEO of Ocean Ledger, added: “The support of Innovate UK has accelerated our development significantly. We have created product-friendly workflows and were invited to join Lloyd’s labs, which helps us demonstrate our solutions to major insurers and clients.”
As natural-positive investments gain urgency and momentum around the world, these six projects are seen as pioneers of how AI and data cope with environmental degradation, which can both reduce financial and ecological returns.
