What PES Technologies does

PES Technologies is a UK-based agritech company headquartered in Diss, Norfolk, founded in 2017, that builds soil-health measurement hardware and software for agriculture and land management. Its flagship product, ScentsCheck™, is a handheld electronic-nose sensor paired with a smartphone application that detects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by microbial activity in soil and uses proprietary machine learning models to translate those VOC signatures into 12 or more soil health indicators — including nutrient status and biological activity — in under 10 minutes, with stated accuracy above 80%. The platform is positioned as a faster and cheaper alternative to laboratory soil testing, enabling in-field decision-making rather than the multi-day turnaround of conventional lab workflows.

The company's technology stack combines custom VOC sensor hardware, a mobile application for data capture and visualization, and continuously updated ML models calibrated against laboratory reference data in collaboration with strategic partner NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany). PES generates revenue through a combination of hardware sales of the ScentsCheck device, professional services delivered through its PES Direct offering, and subscription or software components tied to multi-year contracts. The go-to-market is sales-led and targeted at farmers, agronomists, land agents, and landowners, with quote-based pricing reflecting enterprise-grade deal sizing. Geographic operations are presently concentrated in the United Kingdom. Capital structure reflects an early-stage profile, with approximately $5.4 million raised across two Series 1 rounds led by TSP Ventures (October 2023 and May 2025), supplemented by a non-dilutive Innovate UK grant and a syndicate of agritech-focused investors including Green Angel Ventures, Kero Development Partners, Moorhampton Investments, and Climate VC. Leadership is headed by CEO Jim Bailey, and the company operates with a headcount in the 11-50 range consistent with a hardware-plus-software business transitioning from pilot deployments to scaled commercial sales.

Name

PES Technologies

Legal name

P.E.S. TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Website

https://pestechnologies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PES Technologies is a UK-based agritech company that builds the ScentsCheck™ handheld electronic-nose sensor and ML-powered software platform, delivering in-field soil health insights to farmers, agronomists, land agents, and landowners as a faster alternative to laboratory soil testing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Sensors

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Precision Sensing & Monitoring (Soil/Weather Stations, In-Field Sensors, IoT) (AFAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Continuous/Remote Monitoring Systems (IoT Sensors, Telemetry, Networks) (EUAHACAL)

Keywords

• Soil health testing
• Agricultural sensors
• Precision agriculture
• Electronic nose technology
• Handheld soil analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Diss

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Soil Health Measurement Hardware: Sale of handheld soil testing devices (ScentsCheck™) that enable in-field soil health analysis. The device is sold as a unit with accompanying smartphone app functionality.
2. Testing Services and Analysis: PES Direct service offering providing soil testing services. Revenue generated from testing fees, potentially including laboratory analysis for chemical indicators and organic matter testing.
3. Subscription/Software Services: Ongoing software and app functionality for data management, result tracking, and analysis. The smartphone app enables data export, multiple test comparison, and GPS-tagged result management over time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PES Technologies develops and sells the ScentsCheck™ handheld soil health measurement device, an 'electronic nose' sensor that detects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by microbial activity in soil. The smartphone-controlled device delivers 12+ key soil health indicators (biological, physical, and chemical) in under 10 minutes in-field, with results GPS-tagged and time-stamped. The company also offers the ScentsCheck companion app for data management and PES Direct, a service and support offering.

Product overview

PES Technologies offers a unified product ecosystem centered on the ScentsCheck™ electronic nose technology and associated Soil Health Measurement Tool. The core offering consists of a handheld hardware device paired with a smartphone app that delivers rapid in-field soil health analysis. The ScentsCheck™ sensor technology detects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by microbial activity to generate 12+ soil health indicators in under 10 minutes. PES Direct provides additional customer service and engagement. The company positions its technology as an alternative to slow, costly traditional laboratory soil testing, targeting farmers, agronomists, land agents, and landowners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ScentsCheck™ Soil Health Measurement Tool A handheld 'electronic nose' (e-nose) sensor device that detects and interprets volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by microbial activity in soil. Controlled via a smartphone app, it delivers 12+ key soil health indicators (biological, physical, and chemical) in under 10 minutes directly in the field, with GPS-tagged and time-stamped results. Built for farmers, agronomists, land agents, and land owners.
• ScentsCheck App Smartphone application that controls the ScentsCheck handheld device, displays soil health results with interpretations and recommendations, tracks results over time, and enables data export as PDF or CSV files for analysis and record-keeping.
• PES Direct Service offering providing customer support, demonstrations, and direct engagement with PES Technologies for users of the soil health measurement tool. Customers can request a quote for PES Direct services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% accuracy on all soil health indicators verified against laboratory results
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIAB collaboration was instrumental in the discovery and development of ScentsCheck™ technology. During discussions with NIAB researchers, PES uncovered the crucial insight that the distinctive scent of soil contains valuable information about its health. This partnership provided the foundational research and expertise that led to the development of the proprietary VOC detection technology for soil health assessment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PES Technologies