Six UK agritech companies return to New Zealand this October for the second in-market immersion of the Innovate UK 2026 NZ AgriTech Global Incubator Program, delivered in partnership with Sprout Agritech.
The cohort first visited in June, timed to coincide with New Zealand National Fieldays, for site visits and introductions across the sector. Since then, the founders have continued with online content and one-to-one mentoring from Sprout mentors.
The October visit runs for two weeks from 12-24 Oct 2026. This time the focus shifts from discovery to delivery, lining up trial sites, partnership conversations, as well as farm, orchard and research institution visits across both the North and South Islands.
Each founder has recorded a short video on what they are working on and who they want to meet. Links to each video are below.
Meet the InnovateUK 2026 NZ GIP cohort
Cleobury: turning agricultural waste into high-value products
Cleobury is a Wales-based innovation company that converts agricultural and organic waste streams, such as slurry, into stable, nutrient-standardised powders for fertiliser, feed, food and health applications.
Founder Dr Alina Warren-Walker will spend her October visit focusing on potential trial sites across the North and South Islands. She wants to meet farms, anaerobic digestion operators, food manufacturers, research organisations and commercial partners interested in pilots, collaboration and technology licensing.
Galebreaker: smarter livestock housing and calf rearing
Galebreaker is a UK agritech manufacturer with more than 40 years' experience in natural and mechanical ventilation for livestock housing and calf rearing. Its systems combine automated ventilation, sensing and AI optimisation to improve animal welfare, productivity and climate resilience.
Export Regional Manager David Gauthier is focusing on partnership opportunities on the South Island. He wants to meet progressive dairy and livestock farmers, calf rearers, farm equipment suppliers, building providers, industry bodies and technology partners interested in demonstrations, R&D collaboration and long-term distribution.
GyroPlant: reusable plant support for controlled environment agriculture
Single-use growing media are expensive, generate a lot of waste and present biosecurity risks. GyroPlant has developed a reusable plant-support system for hydroponic and controlled environment agriculture (CEA), cutting waste and input costs.
Director and Lead Engineer Marcus Comaschi will visit Sprout partners in both islands. He wants to meet CEA growers, irrigation and sensing technology companies, research and STEM partners, and space agriculture organisations interested in crop trials and technology integration.
HiFe Plants: more iron in everyday crops
HiFe Plants is developing non-GM, high-iron pea varieties and plant-based ingredients to help address iron deficiency through food. The plants also carry additional zinc, with potential application in animal feed to help manage facial eczema.
Director Jacob Pullin will visit R&D partners in both islands. He wants to meet supplement and ingredient manufacturers, salad growers and the plant breeding sector, and to hear how farmers manage zinc supplementation for cattle and sheep. He is also looking to set up trials of HiFe pea material.
Polysolar: solar energy without losing natural light
Polysolar is a UK clean technology company developing transparent solar glazing, agrivoltaics and building-integrated photovoltaics, including lightweight flexible solar PV designed for polytunnels and protected cropping.
Founder and CEO Hamish Watson will focus on visiting potential trial sites in both the North and South Island. He wants to meet early adopter cleantech customers, growers, partners, distributors and investors.
x10NI: making farm data actionable
x10NI is developing digital twin technology for livestock farming. Its AI-driven platform models nutrient flows, carbon cycles and environmental performance across livestock supply chains, supporting regulatory compliance, carbon accounting and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV).
Co-founder and Director Thomas Cromie is progressing partnership opportunities in both islands. He wants to meet livestock processors, retailers, government agencies, farm and catchment partners, and investors interested in pilots, supply chain integration and scalable environmental measurement.
Know someone they should meet?
If you are a grower, farmer, processor, manufacturer, researcher, distributor or investor with an interest in any of these technologies, we would like to hear from you. Get in touch with the Sprout team, and we will connect you with the right founder while they are in New Zealand.
The Innovate UK 2026 New Zealand Global Incubator Program is funded by Innovate UK and delivered in partnership with Sprout Agritech.