You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker).
As we provide the news for free, we are relying on revenues from our banners. So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.
Thanks!
Click here for a guide on disabling your adblocker.
Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news!
You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site. If you keep getting this message, please enable cookies in your browser.
They might be UK innovators, but GyroPlant and Polysolar are convinced of their potential in other regions of the world too, which is why they, and four other UK companies, are heading to New Zealand in 2026 as part of the Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme (GIP), creating new opportunities for local industry, investors and research institutions to collaborate on the future of food and farming as they seek to cement investment, partnerships, pilots and research collaborations.
Gyroplant developed a reusable plant-support system replacing single-use growing media in hydroponic systems, and Polysolar developed lightweight flexible solar PV designed for polytunnels and protected cropping. The other companies are technologies spanning AI-enabled livestock systems, digital-twin carbon tracking, circular agriculture, and on-farm energy generation
The visit marks the first time the programme has been delivered in New Zealand. Innovate UK is partnering with Sprout Agritech, New Zealand’s leading agritech accelerator and investor, and reflects a growing momentum behind international collaboration to solve shared challenges across the agrifood value chain.
Why it matters for New Zealand industry and researchers
“The six selected companies bring cutting-edge solutions spanning nutrient management and circular agriculture, livestock housing and animal welfare, sustainable horticulture, crop resilience, on-farm energy generation and supply chain emissions verification. They are coming to New Zealand specifically to road-test their technologies in real-world conditions, find industry partners, and explore pathways to market entry. For New Zealand companies, investors and research institutions, this is a direct pipeline to innovation that may otherwise take years to arrive here”, the program explains.
Sprout Agritech CEO Sandhya Sriram says the programme is a genuine two-way opportunity. “When I joined Sprout, I was clear about one thing: the biggest problems in our food system won’t be solved by any one country working alone,” she says.
“New Zealand is one of the most sophisticated agricultural markets in the world – diverse conditions, world-class science, and industry partners who understand what it takes to scale globally. Partnering with Innovate UK to bring their best agritech companies here is a signal that the international innovation community sees New Zealand as a co-creator of solutions the world needs.”
Delivered over six months, the programme includes two intensive in-market visits in June and October 2026. The June visit coincides with Fieldays, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event, where the cohort will be available to meet with prospective partners.
Curated field visits, workshops and one-on-one industry introductions are also planned throughout the programme.
© PolysolarA Polysolar agrovoltaics solutions
“Our partnership with Sprout as part of the Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme gives UK businesses a genuine opportunity to understand the New Zealand market from the inside, and to build collaborations that will help them innovate, scale and grow internationally,” Jon Hazell, Innovate UK Partnership Manager – Global Incubator Programme.
Two of the world’s more dynamic agritech sectors are about to make a closer connection. New Zealand’s food and fibre sector generates NZD $59.9B in annual export revenue, accounting for around 80% of total goods exports and contributing 10% of GDP. The UK brings a different kind of scale: more than 1,200 agritech businesses generating £13.1B in turnover and employing over 25,000 people in high-skilled roles, making it Europe’s leading destination for agritech venture capital investment.
In addition to Gyroplant and Polysolar, the 2026 cohort includes:
● Cleobury Project Management – converts agricultural waste streams like slurry into nutrient-standardised fertiliser powders.
● Galebreaker Ltd – optimises controlled-environment livestock housing combining automated ventilation, sensing and AI optimisation.
● HiFe Plants – developing non-GM high-iron pea varieties for functional food ingredients and supplements.
● x10NI Ltd – providing a digital-twin and MRV platform measuring carbon and nutrient flows across livestock supply chains.
For more information:
Innovate UK
[email protected]
FreshPublishers © 2005-2026 HortiDaily.com

source