Seven British businesses have been awarded a share of £560,000 of government funding to develop space and AI technologies that could be used to transform farming and drive economic growth and nature recovery.

The announcement comes after a ‘hackathon’ run jointly by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Innovate UK. Those taking part were challenged to use satellite data and artificial intelligence to tackle real-world agricultural and environmental challenges.

The seven winning companies will each receive £80,000 in Space Commercialisation Credits that will provide the hands-on business and technical support needed to accelerate their technologies to market.

One of the winners, x10NI, build digital farm simulations to give farmers real-time data to manage soil health, cut 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 reliance on expensive site visits.

Defra’s Science Minister Dame Angela Eagle said: "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, said: "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."