EcoNomad Solutions raises £400k from British Design Fund and Beeches Group
This article covers EcoNomad Solutions, a UK greentech startup, raising £400k in a pre-seed funding round to further develop and commercialise its BioNomad® decentralised anaerobic digestion system for small and mid-sized farms in the UK and Europe. The funding aims to refine the product and expand pilot deployments to support small and mid-sized livestock farms in cutting on-farm emissions and reducing energy and fertiliser costs.
EcoNomad Solutions, a UK greentech startup, has raised £400,000 in a pre-seed funding round to further develop and commercialise its BioNomad® decentralised anaerobic digestion system for small and mid-sized farms across the UK and Europe. The money will be used to refine the product and expand pilot deployments that aim to cut on-farm emissions and energy costs.
Why it matters
Small and mid-sized livestock farms face rising energy and fertiliser costs, tighter rules on slurry and waste management, and pressure to reduce methane emissions. Agriculture is a major source of man-made methane globally, yet many anaerobic digestion systems are designed for large farms and are too costly or complex for smaller operators.
A decentralised, lower-cost system that captures methane and turns organic waste into usable energy and biofertiliser could reduce operating costs for smallholdings and help meet regulatory targets. EcoNomad says a typical 50-cow smallholding may lower energy and fertiliser bills by several thousand pounds per year, depending on operations and usage.
Inside the product
The BioNomad® is a patented, compact anaerobic digestion unit designed specifically for smaller farms and colder climates. It captures methane that would otherwise be emitted, converts organic waste into biogas for heating, cooking or electricity, and produces biofertiliser intended to reduce reliance on chemical inputs.
The device traces its origins to decentralised waste-to-energy work in Latin America. Founder Dr Ilan Adler adapted the concept during his PhD at UCL, tailoring the system for the UK and European regulatory and climatic environment. Adler brings more than two decades of experience in environmental engineering, focusing on wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion and renewable energy, and moved the concept forward supported by a Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship.
EcoNomad reports more than ten UK farm deployments, installations in Africa, and trials across insect farms, food waste streams, and integrated renewable setups that combine biogas with solar and wind to charge batteries for electric vehicles. The company plans to iterate the BioNomad® towards a fully automated, plug-and-play unit to simplify operation for farmers and scale commercial deployment across the UK before moving into Europe and emerging markets.
Who are the investors?
The round raised £400,000 in total. The British Design Fund contributed £230,000, supplemented by an Innovate UK Investor Partnership grant and additional backing from existing investor Beeches Group. The company says the funds will be used for product development and commercial scaling across the UK and Europe.
In the announcement, Damon Bonser, CEO at British Design Fund, said:
EcoNomad Solutions is addressing a major environmental and economic challenge with a solution that is both innovative and highly scalable. Their approach to decentralised anaerobic digestion has the potential to deliver meaningful impact for small farms globally. We're pleased to support Ilan and the team as they take this next step.
In the announcement, Ilan Adler, Founder & CEO at EcoNomad Solutions, said:
Small farms are under increasing pressure, yet they're often excluded from the renewable energy solutions available to larger operators. Our mission is to change that. The BioNomad® is designed to make waste-to-energy accessible, affordable and practical for even the smallest farms, helping them reduce emissions, lower costs and build resilience. The support from BDF, Innovate UK and our existing investors enables us to progress product development and scale our operations across the UK and Europe.
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Founder perspective
Dr Ilan Adler developed the BioNomad® after observing simple, decentralised waste-to-energy systems in Latin America and adapting them for UK conditions. His academic and professional background in environmental engineering and renewable energy underpins the product design, which focuses on usability, regulatory fit and cold-climate performance. The company aims to simplify operation so farmers with limited technical resources can adopt the system.
The bigger picture
Making decentralised anaerobic digestion viable for small farms addresses both emissions and rural resilience. If systems like the BioNomad® can be delivered at lower cost and with simple maintenance, they could help farms meet evolving regulatory standards on slurry and methane while reducing dependence on grid energy and chemical fertilisers.
The raise also reflects ongoing interest from greentech investors in solutions that cut on-farm emissions and decentralise energy production. For UK and European policymakers pushing net-zero agriculture targets, smaller, deployable technologies that work for family farms will be an important part of the toolkit.
This funding round and the planned UK-first commercial rollout underscore how startups are attempting to bridge a gap between large-scale renewable projects and the practical needs of smaller agricultural operators across Europe and beyond.
They've invested in EcoNomad Solutions
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