UK Space Agency backs Space Park Leicester based start-up
An agri-tech start-up working to eradicate global agricultural waste with support from Space Park Leicester has been accepted on to one of the UK Space Agency’s most prestigious business support programmes.
Established in May last year, Messium is poised to transform the agriculture industry for the better by focussing on eliminating global agricultural waste through reduction in pesticide applications and the optimisation of fertiliser and water usage.
Now it has been accepted on to the UK Space Agency’s Geo Accelerator six month bespoke programme which the agency limits to just five of the best high growth potential space companies in the UK.
Messium Chief Technical Officer, Vishal Soomaney Vijaykumar, said: “Messium is keen to develop into a major UK space champion and wants to thank the UK Space Agency for their vote of confidence.
“Being part of the UK Space Agency and Space Park Leicester ecosystems allows us to collaborate closely with other fast growing start-ups in the sector.
“This promises to be a catalyst that speeds up both our, and the industry’s, collective future growth and development.”
Being part of the programme will allow Messium to work in depth with experts from the UK Space Agency, its entrepreneurial growth and technical commercialisation enablers, funders and other organisations in the space sector.
The wide ranging package of support also includes access to the UK Space Agency’s national roadshow of Trajectory events and free UKspace start-up membership.
Last year, Messium became one of the latest companies to be accepted on the European Space Agency – Business Incubation Centre for the United Kingdom (ESA-BIC UK) programme at Space Park Leicester, the University of Leicester’s pioneering £100 million hub science and innovation park.
Messium has also begun an activity in partnership with the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency through the InCubed programme. Co-funded by the UK Space Agency, this activity involves Messium providing farmers with live updates on crop nitrogen status throughout the growing season, allowing for new insights, increased yields and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Vinay Patel, Head of Commercial and Innovation at Space Park Leicester, said: “We are delighted that Messium has received this endorsement from the UK Space Agency.
“Messium is using its expertise in machine learning and high spectral resolution image analysis to inform farmers precisely how to treat their crops for optimal results and minimal waste.
“We can’t wait to see where this support from the UK Space Agency will take them.”
Portia Bircher, Business Support and Growth Manager at the UK Space Agency, added: “We are delighted that Messium will be joining our next Geo cohort, part of the UK Space Agency Accelerator, and we hope to be able to support the business as it looks to scale up further.
“Messium is driving innovation in using Earth Observation data and what better place to be situated than Space Park Leicester which is also home to the National Earth Observation Centre.”