First of a Kind 2025 Rail Competition winners announced

The Department for Transport (DfT) and Innovate UK are pleased to announce the winners of the First of a Kind (FOAK) 2025 competition. Winners will receive funding to help develop novel technology centred around AI for Complex Processes, Platform Train Interface, Personal Safety and Bridge Strikes.

Posted on: 01/09/2025

Since 2017/18, the FOAK programme has been funded by the Department for Transport and managed by Innovate UK, in partnership with Innovate UK Business Connect. It aims to overcome barriers that often prevent new entrants bringing innovative technologies to the rail market.

Funding is awarded through competitions, with successful applicants partnering with rail industry supporters to develop, test, and demonstrate their products, enabling a smoother path to commercialisation.

The innovations receiving support through this competition will contribute to a more accessible, safer, and efficient railway system throughout the UK. The competition highlights the importance of collaboration with industry partners and focuses on delivering high-maturity demonstrations, ensuring seamless integration into the existing railway infrastructure. Delivered by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, on behalf of the Department for Transport, the FOAK rail programme seeks to identify and support outstanding, innovative solutions. Funded organisations will showcase the creativity and impact of their ideas through live demonstrations.

– Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK

Competition winners

  • Furrer + Frey GB Limited
    AERIAL – AI Enabled Reporting for Inputs to Electrification Analysis Lifecycle

    Robok Limited
    SiteFlow: AI-Powered Access and Workflow Intelligence for Supplier Assurance

    JR Dynamics Limited
    IntelliPan Network

    Trackbase Ltd
    AI-Powered Contingency Plan Intelligence for Rail Operations

    Digital Transit Limited
    CENELEC Lifecycle Artificial Intelligence Manager (CLAIM)

  • Transport Direction Ltd
    Utilising novel AI technology at the platform train interface to reduce dwell times and improve performance for Scotland’s Railway

    Transport Direction Ltd
    AlightHear

    Moonbility Ltd
    Mind the Gap+: True Step-Free Access at the Point of Boarding

    Rinicom Limited
    YELLOWLINE AI: Real-Time Behavioural Nudging Through Platform Video Feeds

    Anuma Intelligence Ltd
    KLOS-R: Kinetic Language Operating system for platform safety and access

    Calyo Limited
    Calyo – 3D Sound+AI Platform Safety System

    Biofoundry Energy Limited
    Deformable SMA platform train interface

    Frontiermind AI Ltd
    Edge-AI Guardian: Rapid-fit Intelligent Platform-Train Interface Safety System

  • Sixty Learn Ltd
    RAISE: Realistic AI Simulations for Employee personal safety

    Skybound Innovations Ltd
    WATCH (Wide area Aerial Tracking for Crowd and Hazard Detection)

    British Transport Police
    Falcon Outpost – Autonomous, rapidly deployable drone-in-a-box for public safety overwatch across the rail network

    Hack Partners Limited
    Improving personal safety on the railway with an integrated and real-time platform-end trespass detection and rapid response system

    Integrated Systems Engineering Ltd
    SafeRide5G: Enhancing Rail Safety with AI and Ultra-Fast 5G

    Juice Immersive Ltd
    EMBODY: Immersive VR Training to Tackle Violence Against Women and Girls on the UK Rail Network

  • Peak to Peak Measurement Solutions Ltd
    Low Power Distributed Multi-Sensor Mesh for Long-Term Remote Monitoring of Rail Bridge Strike Events

    Sensing Feeling Limited
    BridgeGuard

    Rasic Ltd
    Bridge Bouncer

    Space Data Centres Ltd
    BridgeAlert: Low Cost Scalable BLE Beacon Technology For Bridge Clearance Driver Alert System

    CGA Simulation Limited
    Immersive Bridge Strike Awareness (IBSA)

    JR Dynamics Limited
    Bridge Strikes Guardian

    University of Birmingham
    Bridge Aware – Real-Time Prevention, Detection and Mitigation of Bridge Strikes on Rail Bridges.

Download complete list of winners
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