The winning projects
Ocean Ledger
Geospatial software applied to coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrass meadows.
The software measures and forecasts coastal risk and provides actionable insights for investors and organisations to:
- mitigate through targeted conservation and restoration
- align with market mechanisms
- monitor, report and verify impact
Tierra Foods and the University of Huddersfield
A machine learning-optimised project development platform for asset-management and food multinationals that leverages a novel monitoring, reporting and verification methodology. This will quantify inorganic carbon sequestration from natural oxalate inputs in soils.
Auquan and University College London
An artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tool designed to derisk nature investments using geospatial data to measure and model nature-positive investment risks.
Caledonian Climate partners and New Gradient
A tech-enabled project integrity tool designed to catalyse investment into peatlands, one of nature’s most important carbon sinks.
City Science Corporation and Caerphilly County Borough Council
A geospatial land assessment tool to remove barriers preventing investment in natural capital by making sure it is considered at the local planning stages. This should reduce valuable habitat, biodiversity and carbon sequestration losses resulting from housebuilding and construction projects.
Zulu Ecosystems and Severn Trent
A data-driven system operator approach for planning and delivering nature-based solutions to enhance water resilience across entire water catchments.
The Innovate UK grants, which range from £250,000 and £500,000, are part of a £7 million Integrating Finance and Biodiversity for a Nature Positive Future programme led by the Natural Environment Research Council.
Protecting and restoring nature
Catherine Makin, Innovation Lead for Green Finance at Innovate UK, says:
Nature positive investing is not a new idea, but, as a market, it is still in its infancy. It therefore comes with significant risk, which impacts investor confidence.
For us to harness finance that protects, restores and benefits nature, we need to reduce that risk, build confidence and demonstrate the potential for returns so that we see more investments, sooner. Data is a crucial part of that picture, as it can support investment decisions by helping to build confidence that the finance is achieving desired and expected outcomes.
These grants, totalling £2 million, along with support and networking opportunities directly from Innovate UK and its partners, will enable the development, acceleration and commercialisation of some really innovative ideas designed to help the private finance community confidently invest in nature positive projects.
We’re excited to see what these projects deliver and look forward to supporting them to reach their full potential.
Nature finance showcase
The projects will start in September this year and will be completed by 31 May 2025.
In September 2025, the projects will be showcased to private investors at Innovate UK’s Nature Finance Showcase for Climate Tech Investing.
Read about Innovate UK’s work to integrate finance and biodiversity for a nature positive future.
Top image: Credit: matthewleesdixon, iStock, Getty Images Plus via Getty Images