UKI2S and international investors back Messium’s AI-driven satellite tech to help farmers worldwide cut costs, raise yields, and and transform sustainable farming at scale

Messium, a UK agri-tech innovator using hyperspectral satellites and AI-driven crop growth models to solve the challenge of nitrogen efficiency in farming, has secured a £3.3 million seed investment.

The round was co-led by the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital)- with investment drawn from UKI2S's ‘Space' portfolio (backed by the UK Space Agency) and Expansion Aerospace Ventures - highlighting the transformative role of space technology in agriculture.

Mudcake, Laconia, GRDC GrainInnovate, Clear Current Capital, Moonstone Venture Capital and follow-on investor SuperSeed also participated in the round.

Messium's platform combines the latest in satellite imaging and artificial intelligence to deliver practical, field-ready insights for farmers. Using hyperspectral satellites that capture detailed images of crops across hundreds of wavelengths, Messium's system "sees" exactly how much nitrogen is present in each part of a field.

Advanced AI models then analyse this satellite data alongside weather, soil, and farm management information, building a real-time picture of crop health and nutrient needs. Every week, farmers receive tailored recommendations on when and where to apply fertiliser - maximising yield, minimising waste, and supporting more sustainable, profitable farming. For farmers, this means clearer decision-making, less guesswork, and better results - right where it matters most: in the field.

This new capital will accelerate Messium's commercial rollout in the UK, Europe, and Australia, expand its network of research and farming partners, and scale up the company's unique data and analytics infrastructure - enabling farmers to optimise yields, cut fertiliser waste, and support a more resilient food system.

The platform itself provides farmers with weekly, field-specific nitrogen status and recommendations at world-changing scale and accuracy, using next-generation hyperspectral satellites, proprietary AI models, and extensive field-validated datasets. Farmers and agronomists can identify both over- and under-fertilised areas within each field, adjusting nitrogen application for maximum yield and profit while minimising environmental impact.

Nitrogen fertiliser is both an essential and one of the most environmentally challenging inputs in global agriculture. Messium's 2024 trials across Europe and Australia, using more than 13,000 lab-validated crop samples, found that over 50% of fields were incorrectly fertilised - leading to wasted input costs and unnecessary emissions. Messium's technology enables a data-driven approach to tackle these inefficiencies, supporting commercial farmers as well as broader food security and net-zero objectives.

Supported by the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency, Innovate UK, and leading agronomy researchers, Messium's system is already delivering results for over 75 farms across the UK and Europe this year, with additional pilots underway in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US.

The latest investment enables Messium to scale its team, technology, and commercial impact, further developing its platform to address other nutrient and crop health challenges. Building on this momentum, the company is now preparing for a Series A round to accelerate international expansion and deepen its technology leadership.

George Marangos-Gilks, CEO and co-founder of Messium, commented on the raise: "Feeding the world sustainably is one of the defining challenges of our time. Today, more than half of all farmland is either over- or under-fertilised - a problem that wastes billions, drives emissions, and holds back global food security.

"At Messium, we believe the answer lies in harnessing the best of satellite technology and AI to deliver field-specific recommendations at massive scale - week in, week out, for every farmer on the planet.

"This investment is not just a win for Messium- it's a step change for global agriculture. Our ambition is bold: to eliminate fertiliser guesswork worldwide, boost yields, cut waste, and help secure the future of food."

Vishal Soomaney Vijaykumar, CTO, co-founder and Forbes 30 Under 30, added: "Messium's journey to becoming the UK champions in hyperspectral agriculture wouldn't have been possible without the support of ESA BIC & the UK Space Agency's GEO Accelerator.

"These programmes supported us from day one, helping us combine state-of-the-art research in hyperspectral remote sensing, machine learning and crop growth modelling to build something radically new - turning an ambitious idea into a commercial business with real-world impact. Now we're ready to take this innovation global, helping farmers boost profits, cut emissions and keep soils healthy for future generations."
Shruti Iyengar, Space Investment Lead, UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital), added: "Messium represents a leap forward for global agriculture, harnessing hyperspectral satellite imaging, cutting-edge crop science, and innovative analytics all in one offering to address one of the world's most urgent resource challenges. The impact is significant - from reducing agri-input use and associated water pollution, to increasing yield per hectare for some of the most widely consumed crops.

"Messium is a stellar example of using space data to create a significantly positive impact on people and the planet. As demand for sustainable food production intensifies, scalable, data-driven solutions like Messium's are essential for building resilience across the agri-food system. We're proud to back a company with the vision and capability to make a lasting difference on a worldwide scale."

Dr Craig Brown, Investment Director at UK Space Agency said: "Messium's success demonstrates the transformative potential of space technology in addressing critical global challenges. By integrating advanced hyperspectral satellite data with artificial intelligence, they are enabling farmers to improve yields, reduce input waste, and minimise environmental impact.

"The UK Space Agency is proud to support Messium via the UKI2S space fund. Innovations like this not only strengthen the UK's space sector, but also contribute to global food security and climate resilience.

"Messium is a compelling case study in how our support, from start-up to scale-up, has helped unlock private investment and accelerate growth."

Ulf Palmnäs, Venture Partner, Expansion Aerospace Ventures added: "Messium is at the forefront of precision agriculture - bringing together satellite data and advanced AI to tackle one of farming's biggest challenges.

"We backed them because of the strength of their team, the clear value they're already delivering to farmers, and the huge positive impact this technology can have on the world."