A fresh push is underway to harness the power of artificial intelligence in the agrifood sector: UK tech accelerator Digital Catapult has inaugurated a tailored programme uniting nine AI-first startups to tackle core challenges across agriculture and food systems.
Operating under the umbrella of the Innovate UK BridgeAI initiative, the High Growth AI Accelerator links early-stage innovators with major industry players such as Nestlé, Dale Farm, Hartpury Digital Innovation Farm, and Peacock Technology.
Focus Areas & Startup Use-Cases
The accelerator is targeting a range of pressing sector issues, including dairy forecasting, disease detection, biodiversity monitoring, and resilience in digital supply chains.
Among the participating startups:
- Rubik is piloting Data Mule, a platform to forecast milk production volumes.
- Barefoot Lightning is working on feed-optimisation tools.
- FISCROP is developing a disease management modelling system.
- Others will concentrate on biodiversity remote sensing, cocoa disease detection in West Africa, and AI-powered environmental impact assessments.
Already, the broader BridgeAI programme has helped attract £2.4 million in combined public and private investment within one year of startup involvement.
Strategic Significance & Outlook
The agrifood sector represents a £14.5 billion slice of the UK economy, and the accelerator’s organisers see this programme as a vehicle to modernise operations, bolster resilience, and respond to environmental pressures head-on.
Jessica Rushworth, Chief Partnerships Officer at Digital Catapult, emphasised that “effective collaboration and partnership” will be critical as the initiative joins forces with industry leaders to show how AI can solve some of the sector’s most formidable challenges.
Sara El-Hanfy, Director of AI & Digital at Innovate UK, added that the BridgeAI platform aims to provide startups not only with funding but “the tools, partnerships and confidence to transform bold ideas into scalable solutions.”
The 14-week programme will culminate in a showcase event, where participating startups will present their advancements and outcomes.
