Anglesey-based Ecodetect is set to represent Europe at a global competition aimed at addressing climate change and unlocking the world’s cleantech potential.
Ecodetect provides marine life detection services designed to help offshore renewable energy developers monitor marine infrastructure projects and ensure projects co-exist safely with local biodiversity. The Welsh business will attend the competition on Friday [October 24th] where over 180 entrepreneurs, thought leaders, policy makers and corporate representatives from around the world join together to explore ways to make change and accelerate the sustainability transition.
Ecodetect, winners of the European heats, is one of just eight firms from around the globe, whittled down from an initial 421 applications, selected to compete at the global grand finals of the ClimateLaunchpad, the world’s largest green business competition in Vienna. The global competition discovers, supports, and scales early-stage startups and ideas aimed at tackling climate change and its effects and the final provides training, coaching, mentoring, visibility, networking and investment opportunities.
Founded by Dr David Gold and headquartered at Anglesey’s M-SParc, Ecodetect offers renewable energy developers timelier and cost-efficient environmental monitoring methods using AI technology, while also providing more accurate data for analysis required by marine regulators.
Ecodetect was recently named North Wales Start Up of the Year at the Wales Start Up Awards, just a year since beginning trading and shortly after securing a £25,000 Start Up Loan from the British Business Bank.
“Our software provides imagery analysis for marine renewables,” explains David, who set up Ecodetect, following an earlier career in the oil and gas industry. “Many of our contacts within the marine energy sector have cameras attached to turbines underwater, but 99% of the petabytes or terabytes of recordings are often unnecessary and irrelevant to their research. Environmental teams within these energy businesses are often small, and watching endless footage quickly drains resources.
“We have identified a market for alternative, more efficient, monitoring within the growing renewables sector.”
Ecodetect recently became the first AI marine monitoring business to receive regulatory approval for use of AI in Scotland, where clients include leading tidal energy developers.
The business is currently collaborating with Bangor University and Boatfolk, operators of Conwy Marina, operating underwater cameras within oyster cages to provide data for a native oyster restoration project.
“Our software monitors the potential impact developers could have,” continues David. “We’ve trained the AI to recognise seaweed, seals, birds, fish, dolphins, all species of marine ecosystems. Essentially, we can run the AI across all sonar footage and videos to provide edited data solely featuring wildlife.”
David has ambitions for Ecodetect to expand into building hardware products alongside the AI data analysis offering. A pre-seed investment round is ongoing and David hopes to secure pre-seed funding to scale and grow the business domestically, as well as across North America, the rest of Europe, South East Asia including Indonesia, where the renewables tech sector is quickly developing.
“Working with the British Business Bank and applying for a Start Up Loan appealed because of the flexibility of the tranche loan. We started with £15,000, then applied for more a couple of months later to invest in additional marketing and branding spend. They’ve been a really valuable funding partner.”
Jess Phillips-Harris, Senior Manager for Wales at the British Business Bank, said: “It’s inspiring to see Start Up Loans empowering forward-thinking businesses like Ecodetect. By harnessing cutting-edge AI in a way that supports sustainability and advances Net Zero goals, Ecodetect perfectly reflects the kind of innovation we’re proud to back. Their work not only drives technological progress but also aligns with the British Business Bank’s commitment to building a greener, more resilient future.”
