Part of the wider £7 million Integrating Finance and Biodiversity for a Nature Positive Future (IFB) programme led by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the grants—ranging from £250,000 to £500,000—were awarded to six projects focused on solving major environmental challenges using AI, big data and geospatial intelligence.
Among the standout projects:
- Ocean Ledger has advanced its geospatial analytics platform to predict coastal defence degradation and shoreline erosion. Its modelling tools, aimed at insurers, councils and engineering firms, enable better planning for rising sea levels and storm surges. Ocean Ledger has since been selected for Lloyd’s Lab, the UK’s top Insurtech accelerator.
- TierraSphere and the University of Huddersfield developed a groundbreaking AI-driven MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) model that forecasts inorganic carbon sequestration in soils, with 40 hectares already restored in rural Mexico. Future versions will integrate biodiversity, water retention and social impact metrics.
- Auquan and University College London created an AI platform that quickly analyses complex geospatial nature data, significantly improving the accuracy and speed of environmental due diligence for investors.
- Caledonian Climate Partners and New Gradient developed an AI-based tool that uses drone imagery to cut costs and speed up peatland restoration planning. The platform has already secured a mapping contract from the Cairngorms National Park Authority and contributes to the IUCN Peatland Programme.
- City Science Corporation and Caerphilly County Borough Council delivered a geospatial land assessment tool that embeds natural capital into local planning, helping mitigate habitat loss and enhance biodiversity outcomes at a policy level.
- Zulu Ecosystems and Severn Trent Water introduced a suite of land use optimisation tools to model how nature-based interventions can improve flood resilience, drought response and water quality. Their River Idle catchment model identifies areas for habitat restoration that also support carbon, biodiversity, and water management targets.
Catherine Makin, Innovation Lead for Green Finance at Innovate UK, said the projects were already demonstrating powerful use cases: “Each project addresses a crucial environmental need — from coastal conservation to water resilience and peatland restoration. We’re delighted to see real progress in unlocking nature-positive investment and the fact that several projects have already attracted follow-on funding speaks volumes.”
The projects have also shown strong commercial promise. Two are already in talks with new investors, while several have secured contracts or pilot schemes to expand their reach.
Ocean Ledger’s CEO Paige Roepers added: “Support from Innovate UK accelerated our development dramatically. We’ve created product-ready workflows and been invited to join Lloyd’s Lab, which helps us showcase our solution to major insurers and customers.”
With nature-positive investing gaining urgency and momentum globally, these six projects are seen as trailblazers for how AI and data can tackle environmental degradation—delivering both financial and ecological returns.
Jamie Young
Jamie Young is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, covering SME finance, employment law and Westminster policy since 2016. He has reported on every Budget and Autumn Statement since 2018, helped make sense of the 'covid era' and the bounce-back loan scheme from launch through the fraud investigations, and broke the magazine's coverage of the 2024 late-payment reforms. He joined Business Matters straight from completing his BA in Administration from Exeter University and is NCTJ-qualified. Reach him at jyoung@cbmeg.co.uk
