Agri‑tech and food innovation are transforming how we grow, process and produce food—making supply chains more resilient, reducing environmental impact and enabling the shift to cleaner, data‑driven and biologically‑enabled systems.
But moving breakthrough ideas from concept to commercial reality can be complex. Founders must navigate technical validation, regulation, funding pathways, market positioning and adoption by farmers, processors, retailers and global partners.
Through Innovate UK Business Growth, delivered by Business West in the South West, we help agri‑tech and food innovators overcome these challenges and scale with confidence.
Our specialists support businesses developing new biological processes, crop and soil technologies, smart monitoring solutions, alternative proteins, novel materials, sustainable inputs and environmental biotechnology.
We work with companies to:
- Strengthen their business model, market focus and commercial strategy
- Identify suitable funding and finance pathways—from grants to investment readiness
- Build robust IP protection for new biological, chemical or data‑driven innovations
- Validate customer needs, target markets and global expansion opportunities
- Remove operational and strategic blockers that constrain scaling
- Access Innovate UK’s national network of experts across biotech, manufacturing, regulation, and sustainability
Whether a business is creating advanced biological processes, developing climate‑resilient food solutions or rethinking how waste becomes value, our support helps accelerate innovation and deliver real‑world impact.
Here's what some of our agri-tech and food customers say about us:
What our clients say about us
Albotherm
Albotherm has developed a temperature responsive glass coating that maximises greenhouse production by protecting crops during heatwaves. With support from Innovate UK, CEO Molly Allington and CTO Dr Sian Fussell have raised £160K of equity, £1.2M of seed funding, and a total of £800K in Innovate UK grant funding.
What our clients say about us
Extracellular - cultivated food pioneer
Bristol-based biotech company, Extracellular, is at the forefront of sustainable food innovation, developing cultivated meat products that promise to revolutionise health, environmental and food security. With bespoke business growth support from Innovate UK, Extracellular is rapidly scaling its operations, securing vital funding and making significant strides in the cultivated meat industry. The company has since raised £1.8 million in investments and secured more than £2 million in contracts from global customers.
What our clients say about us
ALPS Ecoscience - anaerobic digestion pioneers
Wiltshire-based ALPS Ecoscience is redefining performance in the biogas sector, achieving a 30% uplift in biomethane production compared to industry standards. With tailored innovation and growth support from Innovate UK, the company has reached £1 million in turnover, signed its first international licensing agreement and is in active discussions with partners across Europe.