Agri-EPI Center

What Agri-EPI Center does

Agri-EPI Center operates commercially as the UK Agri-Tech Centre Ltd., a private agri-tech innovation hub founded in 2015 and headquartered at the Innovation Centre in Heslington, York. The company supports sustainable food production through a platform of interconnected services aimed at high-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) agri-tech businesses: (1) Test, Trial and Demonstrate — providing access to real-world on-farm testing environments and demonstrator-scale facilities such as vertical farms and dairy centres; (2) Business Support — helping companies refine value propositions, attract investment, and scale; and (3) Sector Growth — enabling adoption through markets, supply chains, and international connections. Technology areas of focus include Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), Robotics, Sensors, AI, and Engineering Biology.

The business model is professional-services based and appears to be funded primarily through publicly backed programme delivery. Innovate UK, the UK government's innovation agency, is identified as a core financial partner, providing both funding and credibility. The company operates specialised programmes that complement the core service pillars: Agri-Tech Solution Sprints for rapid expert support, FASTA for Net Zero and sustainability acceleration, and the Global Growth Accelerator with regional tracks for Australasia and North America that co-create in-country pilot projects to validate UK-developed solutions internationally. Distribution is direct-to-business through sector growth programmes and accelerators, accessed via the website and direct outreach.

Customer evidence is concentrated in UK-based agri-tech startups, including Outfield (drone-based fruit monitoring), LettUs Grow (indoor farming), AEH Innovative Hydrogel (hydrogel solutions), and Hoofcount (dairy/animal health devices), each citing the centre's role in prototype validation, supply-chain introductions, and international market expansion. The organisation's strategic positioning centres on bridging the gap between agri-tech innovation and commercial deployment through physical infrastructure, ecosystem connections, and government-backed credibility.

Name

Agri-EPI Center

Legal name

UK Agri-Tech Centre Ltd.

Website

https://agri-epicentre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agri-EPI Center (UK Agri-Tech Centre Ltd.) is a UK-based agri-tech innovation hub providing real-world farm testing, business support, and sector growth services to high-TRL agri-tech startups. It operates programmes across CEA, robotics, sensors, AI, and engineering biology, with international accelerators targeting Australasia and North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Technology Innovation Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing) (AFACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control) (AFAAAHAG), Product Lifecycle, NPI & Industrialization (Design-to-Operate) (BPAHAHAK)

Keywords

• Agri-tech innovation services
• Agricultural technology validation
• Farm testing facilities
• Agri-tech business support
• Sustainable agriculture R&D

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Innovation Support Services: The UK Agri-Tech Centre appears to be primarily publicly funded through Innovate UK support, providing subsidized services to agri-tech businesses for testing, trials, demonstrations, and business development. Revenue generation model is not explicitly disclosed but appears to be government-funded programme delivery rather than commercial product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Agri-EPI Center (operating as UK Agri-Tech Centre) is a UK-based agri-tech innovation centre providing real-world testing, demonstration, and business support services to high-TRL agri-tech companies. Its core offering spans three service pillars: (1) Test, Trial and Demonstrate — providing access to innovation farms and facilities for real-world technology validation; (2) Business Support — helping companies refine propositions, attract investment, and scale; and (3) Sector Growth — enabling adoption through supply chains and global connections including Australasia and North America accelerator programmes.

Product overview

The UK Agri-Tech Centre operates as a unified service organization offering a platform of interconnected programs rather than discrete software products. The core portfolio consists of three main service pillars: (1) Test, Trial and Demonstrate — providing real-world on-farm testing environments for technology validation; (2) Business Support — helping companies refine propositions and attract investment; and (3) Sector Growth — facilitating market adoption and international scaling. These are complemented by specialized programs including Agri-Tech Solution Sprints (rapid expert support for market readiness), FASTA (Net Zero and sustainability acceleration), and the Global Growth Accelerator (with regional variants for Australasia and North America) which co-creates in-country pilot projects to validate UK solutions internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Test, Trial and Demonstrate Real-world testing, trialing, and demonstrating of agri-tech technologies in on-farm conditions to help high-TRL companies validate their solutions against authentic agricultural environments.
• Business Support Business support services designed to help agri-tech companies refine their value propositions, attract investment, and scale commercially through expert advice and ecosystem connections.
• Sector Growth Services enabling adoption through markets, supply chains, and global connections to help agri-tech businesses scale successfully in the UK and internationally.
• Agri-Tech Solution Sprints Specialist expert support designed to tackle business growth challenges and move innovations closer to market quickly through rapid, focused engagements.
• FASTA Programme accelerating the pathway to Net Zero and improving sustainability across UK agriculture through robust, scalable solutions that support producers, supply chains, and the wider sector.
• Global Growth Accelerator Programme that co-creates in-country pilot projects validating UK-developed solutions with end-users by embedding UK businesses into local ecosystems to remove barriers to investment and open commercial pathways.
• Global Growth Accelerator – Australasia Regional variant of the Global Growth Accelerator focused on Australian and New Zealand markets for UK agri-tech businesses seeking expansion into Australasia.
• Global Growth Accelerator – North America Regional variant of the Global Growth Accelerator focused on North American markets for UK agri-tech businesses seeking expansion into the US and Canada.

Quantifiable outcome

• Outfield expanded into new markets including Morocco and new industries such as viticulture
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• AgFunder: Venture capital firm and intelligence platform focused on agri-tech, with accelerator-style programmes and global deal flow — adjacent to the UK Agri-Tech Centre as an ecosystem participant connecting innovators with capital and corporates.

Emerging players

• AgriTech incubator — AGRI-LINK / similar European agri-tech hubs: European agri-tech clusters and incubators that provide SMEs with access to testbeds, expertise, and cross-border commercialisation support — narrower in scope than the UK Agri-Tech Centre but with overlapping service design.
• The Yield Lab: Global agri-tech accelerator with regional programs in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific providing investment and commercial support to early-stage agri-tech startups — comparable in accelerator model and international expansion orientation.
• TechAccel: US-based agri-tech investment and technology advancement firm that funds and helps commercialise agricultural innovations — analogous investment-plus-validation model for high-TRL agri-tech companies.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE (France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment): French public research institute combining agricultural, food, and environmental science with technology transfer to industry — comparable in the applied-research-to-commercialisation pipeline that the UK Agri-Tech Centre operates.
• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency, running applied agricultural R&D, on-farm trials, and industry partnerships — directly relevant as a peer for the UK Agri-Tech Centre's Australasia-facing Global Growth Accelerator program.
• Wageningen University & Research: The Netherlands-based global leader in agricultural and food research; operates large-scale applied research facilities and industry partnerships for validating agri-tech innovations across crop, livestock, and food systems — comparable in scope and ambition though materially larger.
• Fraunhofer Institute (Agricultural / Production Tech divisions): German applied-research network with institutes that run industry-facing R&D, prototyping, and demonstration services for agricultural engineering and biosystems — analogous public-good applied-research model with B2B commercialisation focus.

Direct peers

• NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany): UK-based independent agricultural research organisation offering field trials, variety evaluation, and agronomy services to growers and agri-tech companies — overlapping directly with the UK Agri-Tech Centre's test/trial/demonstrate pillar.
• Rothamsted Research: The UK's oldest agricultural research institute, also funded via UK government and BBSRC, conducting applied R&D and field trials in crop science and sustainable farming — directly comparable in mission, funding model, and customer base to the UK Agri-Tech Centre.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agri_epi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UKAgriTechCentre/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/UKAgriTechCentre
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/uk-agri-tech-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/ukagritechcentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Agri-EPI Center