Insider Brief
- The U.K. government said it is backing about £50 million in public and private investment to accelerate deployment of robotics, AI and other technologies into practical tools for farmers
- The funding includes £8 million in government support and roughly £40 million from private investors to scale up to a dozen technologies aimed at improving productivity while reducing labor, energy use and fertilizer inputs
- The initiative, delivered through the Farming Innovation Programme with Innovate UK, includes projects in biopesticides and soil biology and a planned £5 million follow-on fund to support early-stage agri-tech companies
The U.K. government announced it is backing about £50 million in combined public and private investment to accelerate the deployment of robotics, artificial intelligence and other technologies into practical tools for farmers.
According to the U.K. government. funding includes £8 million in government support alongside roughly £40 million from private investors and is expected to support the rollout of up to a dozen technologies aimed at improving farm productivity while reducing labor, energy consumption and use of fertilizers.
“This investment is about getting practical, proven technology into their hands faster — whether that’s improving animal health, cutting costs or making day-to-day jobs easier,” Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said in the announcement. “By backing innovation with both public and private funding, we’re supporting farm businesses to boost productivity, strengthen resilience and help secure the future of British agriculture.”
Several of the projects focus on biological and nature-based approaches to agriculture. FA Bio is developing a biopesticide using beneficial fungi to protect crops such as wheat and oilseed rape from pests, with the goal of reducing reliance on chemical treatments. Another project, led by Rhizocore, is identifying native fungi that can improve tree establishment and growth, supporting forestry and agroforestry efforts while contributing to carbon capture.
The investment is being delivered through the government’s Farming Innovation Programme in partnership with Innovate UK, using a co-investment model that requires projects to secure private funding alongside public support. Officials said the approach is intended to increase total capital flowing into agricultural technology development.
The government also announced an additional £5 million funding round for 2026 to 2027 to support early-stage agri-tech companies, with a focus on helping businesses scale and attract further private investment.
.Image credit: UK Government
