Geovation adds NERC as partner and expands land use track in 23rd cohort

The UK's Geovation Accelerator Programme has announced its 23rd cohort of startups and a new partner, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the country's public funder of environmental science. NERC joins Ordnance Survey, which set up the partnership ten years ago, HM Land Registry, which joined the following year, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which became a partner in August.

OS and HM Land Registry have each cohort backed six startups working on location intelligence and property technology. With Defra and NERC on board, the programme can now support a further six startups focused on land use innovation, using location, property and Earth Observation data for decision-making, environmental management and resilience. Satellite Applications Catapult is providing those six with extra mentoring, including matchmaking for pilots and preparation for procurement.

Why it matters: A dedicated land use track tied to Earth Observation data and public-sector buyers shows how national agencies are nurturing environmental geospatial startups. Other mapping agencies, including African ones, could draw on this model for their own innovation programmes.