The Lapwing Estate offers a test-bed for start-ups tackling the sector's toughest challenges head-on, trialling and proving each one at the Pollybell Innovation Centre before they reach the wider market.
The Frederick Spence Investment Fund
led by James Brown, The Frederick Spence Investment Fund is a pipeline for start-ups to partner with farmers to develop and trial their solutions within a real farm ecosystem. The Fund has already invested in:
chemical dependency, tackled by Earth Rover's CLAWS robot, which replaces herbicides with precision light-based weeding;
carbon emissions, reversed by Reverse Coal, a greenhouse gas removal facility turning biomass into biochar and renewable energy for climate-positive food production;
water scarcity, addressed by FLOW's large scale agricultural reservoir, which captures peak river flows to supply industry, agriculture and environment;
and crop waste, tackled by UPP, which turns discarded broccoli stalks and florets into plant-based protein and fibre ingredients for food manufacturers.
Other investments include: Seed genetics; Biologicals; Robotics; Energy; Water.
Pollybell Innovation Centre
Enquire about the fund
Building something that could make farming more resilient, productive or sustainable? Tell us a little about your start-up and why it belongs at Pollybell.
This is a first step, not a full application. We’ll read every enquiry and get back to you to arrange a conversation with the farm team.
Thank you
Your enquiry is with the Pollybell team. We’ll be in touch soon to talk it through.
Pollybell Innovation Centre