Oxfordshire-based Plastic-i is transforming how we understand and protect freshwater and marine environments. Its Observatory platform harnesses satellite imagery and AI to give governments, businesses, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) near-real-time intelligence on plastic pollution and ocean health.

Founded to tackle the global challenge of plastic waste, Plastic-i has developed a system that transforms satellite data into actionable insights for environmental monitoring. Its technology can detect and track marine debris, monitor aquaculture activities, forecast the growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs), map vital coastal habitats, like seagrass and mangroves, which store carbon, and track wider ecosystem change.

James Doherty, Founder and CEO of Plastic-i, says: “Our mission is simple but ambitious: to make water intelligence as accessible as weather forecasts, empowering decision-makers to act faster and protect fresh water bodies and our ocean. By combining satellite data with advanced AI, we’re offering agencies, businesses, and NGOs the insights they need to act quickly and effectively.”

Building intellectual property foundations for scale

Plastic-i began working with Innovate UK Business Growth in 2022. Innovation and Growth Specialist, Alastair Douglas, carried out a needs assessment and co-developed an action plan with the business.

The focus was on protecting intellectual property (IP) and refining the commercial model to give the company a strong foundation for raising investment.

Through the IP Audit – a part-funded assessment delivered by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and available to Innovate UK Business Growth clients – the company completed a structured review of its IP strategy. This led to the filing of a UK patent for its floating plastic detection system and a trademark application for its platform.

By taking these steps early, Plastic-i could secure its innovation, strengthen its negotiating position with partners, and give investors confidence.

James adds: “Recognising IP as a strategic asset was a turning point. It gave us protection, but also a powerful way to demonstrate value to investors and partners.”

Funding and investment accelerate innovation

Alongside IP support, Innovate UK Business Growth guided Plastic-i in securing funding to advance its technology. The company was awarded a £250,000 UK Research & Innovation Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge grant, delivered by Innovate UK with the involvement of the Natural Environment Research Council, which supported research and development of its detection capabilities.

Plastic-i also benefited from the support of Denise Goldsmith, Knowledge Transfer Manager (Marine Plastics) at Innovate UK Business Connect, whose expertise and introductions were instrumental in securing further grant funding and partnerships. The company also drew on the wider expertise of Innovate UK Business Connect, engaging with sector specialists in areas such as Geospatial Insights to strengthen applications and build new collaborations.

Plastic-i won the Hack the Planet competition, run by the Commonwealth Secretariat and Satellite Applications Catapult, securing £10,000 to kick-start the company’s early activities. It has since continued to collaborate closely with the Catapult, particularly on user-centred design. Early backing from the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre UK (ESA BIC UK) provided business support and funding, contributing to the company’s technical development and credibility in the space sector. Further, Plastic-i received a £7,500 Innovate UK Horizon Europe Pump Priming grant that helped establish new collaborations with European partners.

Due to Innovate UK Business Growth’s guidance on funding strategy, Plastic-i was well positioned to attract a mix of public grants and private investment. This support enabled the company to accelerate technical development and commercialisation.

Plastic-i went on to secure £126,000 in equity investment from mission-aligned early-stage investors, which allowed it to expand its technical capabilities and move from pre-revenue to revenue-generating within 18 months. Its revenues have grown significantly, with turnover reaching £500,000 to date and over £500,000 secured in upcoming contracts, underlining both strong traction and future growth.

James explains: “Innovate UK Business Growth helped us move from an early-stage start-up into a company with international customers and strong intellectual property protection. The tailored support has been critical for both our commercial strategy and our environmental mission.”

International engagement opens new markets

Plastic-i has also benefited from Innovate UK’s international initiatives, enabling it to validate its proposition in overseas markets and develop partnerships with global impact. Participation in the Global Incubator Programme: Canada – Ocean Scaleup Accelerator in 2024 resulted in three new customers, connections to strategic stakeholders, and the opportunity to present to the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

A year later, the Global Incubator Programme: Singapore – Cleantech initiative supported validation of its strategy in Southeast Asia and expansion of its network among corporates and regional partners. During this period, Plastic-i was recognised as a Top 60 finalist in the SLINGSHOT competition, Singapore’s leading deep-tech startup challenge, further strengthening its visibility in the region.

James says: “The prestige of these initiatives unlocked international opportunities and commercial connections. We now have strategic pilots running in Europe, North America and Asia – a testament to how the support has accelerated our international growth.”

Alastair facilitated further introductions through Innovate UK Business Connect, where sector specialists provided detailed feedback on preparing grant applications and helped the company engage with policy and industry stakeholders. These relationships have underpinned pilot deployments with environmental agencies, government-backed collaborations and early traction with maritime and conservation partners.

Driving environmental and economic impact

Plastic-i’s innovations are delivering scalable, cost-effective environmental monitoring tools that benefit both the UK economy and society. Its technology reduces the operational cost of pollution detection, supports compliance with environmental regulations and enables monitoring of coastal habitats that capture and store carbon.

Recent work includes Phase 2 of the Small Business Research Initiative (now Contracts for Innovation)- Bloomcast-NI project in Northern Ireland. Developed with local partners and funded by the UK Space Agency and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland’s Executive, the project uses satellite remote sensing and AI to forecast harmful algae growth. The work builds on Plastic-i’s wider innovation journey, which Innovate UK Business Growth support has helped strengthen.

Beyond the UK, Plastic-i has mapped aquaculture farms along the entire coastline of Nova Scotia, leading to several aquaculture companies taking action to actively clean up plastic pollution in the area. It has also measured the impact of river interceptors in one of the world’s most polluted rivers, providing important independent evidence of effectiveness for stakeholders and strengthening the case for scaling up solutions.

With Innovate UK’s support, Plastic-i is helping to position the UK as a global leader in satellite-enabled environmental monitoring.

James concludes: “Innovate UK Business Growth support has enabled us to create high-value jobs in the UK, attract international partners and build tools with real social and environmental impact. It has been a genuinely collaborative partnership that has helped us grow faster and with greater confidence than we could have achieved alone.”

Innovate UK Business Growth support has enabled us to create high-value jobs in the UK, attract international partners and build tools with real social and environmental impact. It has been a genuinely collaborative partnership that has helped us grow faster and with greater confidence than we could have achieved alone.

– James Doherty, Founder and CEO of Plastic-i