East Anglia-based PES Technologies is transforming how farmers monitor and manage their soil health. With tailored business growth support from Innovate UK, the company has completed a £1.3 million equity raise, launched its handheld in-field soil sensor and secured major collaborations in the UK and overseas. It has also benefitted from close to £1.6 million in Innovate UK grant funding, built an in-house team and is now preparing to join the Innovate UK Scaleup Programme.
PES Technologies addresses the challenge of declining soil health and inefficient testing with an easy-to-use sensor system that provides instant, accurate readouts of key biological, chemical and physical indicators. Its patented ScentsCheck technology uses smell and artificial intelligence to analyse soil samples, delivering results in just five minutes – replacing lab-based processes that can take days and cost significantly more.
“Our innovation allows farmers to take the guesswork out of soil health,” explains Andrej Porovic, CEO of PES Technologies. “One quick test gives them a detailed picture of microbial biomass and soil organic matter, helping them make more informed decisions for long-term productivity, sustainability and profitability.”
Funding and market traction
PES Technologies began working with Innovate UK Business Growth in August 2023, following a £895,000 grant award through Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships initiative, which was matched with equity funding.
Innovation and Growth Specialist, Sean Cannon, began by conducting a detailed needs assessment and co-developing an action plan tailored to the company’s commercialisation and investment goals. This resulted in intensive investment readiness support, including guidance on pitch development and valuation, which helped the company strengthen its funding strategy. It went on to complete a second £1.3 million equity raise.
Andrej says: “The support we received helped shape our funding journey and attract the right investors. Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships initiative gave us confidence and credibility at a critical point – and the expert guidance we received helped make our case to equity funders much stronger.”
PES Technologies has received a series of Innovate UK grants supporting the development, scaling and application of its technology – from early proof-of-concept to international pilots. These include grants – worth around £670,000 – focused on near-to-market readiness, pandemic resilience and agri-tech innovation in sub-Saharan Africa.
A second area of focus in the action plan was tackling manufacturing challenges and bringing its innovation to market. Sean connected the company with Innovate UK partner NAAME (New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering), a regional industry group that supports innovation in manufacturing and engineering. This collaboration helped PES Technologies overcome a complex manufacturing challenge and unlock a scalable route to production.
Internationalisation opens new opportunities
As part of its tailored support, Innovate UK Business Growth recommended that PES Technologies apply for Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme (GIP) in Australia. Thematic GIPs connect UK companies with strategic R&D and commercial partners in key international markets and a participating business’ innovation & growth specialist will help it maximise the value before, during and after the visit.
The initiative proved transformative. During the visit, Andrej established valuable contacts across research and industry in Australia and New Zealand – leading to investment conversations with Australia-based VC Artesian and New Zealand-based venture capital firm Agnition Ventures.
Andrej adds: “The Global Incubator Programme was a real turning point for us. It opened up a network we wouldn’t have reached otherwise and directly led to our first investors from the Southern Hemisphere. We’re now exploring commercial routes in that part of the world.”
Innovation leadership and scale-up plans
With its product now fully commercialised, PES Technologies is continuing to strengthen its technological edge and prepare for accelerated growth. The company is currently exploring a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to advance the machine learning capabilities of its core technology – further enhancing its ability to extract meaningful insights from complex soil data.
Soil health with national impact
Since working with Innovate UK Business Growth, PES Technologies has strengthened its team, scaled up operations and begun rolling out its in-field soil sensor to the UK agri-food sector. Its technology is helping farmers improve productivity, reduce waste and make more sustainable decisions – directly supporting the UK’s Food Strategy and Net Zero 2050 goals. Its accessible tools are also supporting smaller farms to compete more effectively, contributing to food security and environmental resilience.
Andrej concludes: “The support we’ve received from Innovate UK has been pivotal in getting us to this stage. It’s not a one-size-fits-all service – it’s collaborative, targeted and focused on real-world growth. We’re proud to be scaling a UK-grown innovation that can have a truly global impact.”
The support we’ve received from Innovate UK has been pivotal in getting us to this stage. It’s not a one-size-fits-all service – it’s collaborative, targeted and focused on real-world growth.
– Andrej Porovic, CEO of PES Technologies