Proveye Awarded European Space Agency Contract to Deliver Nature-Positive Precision Fertiliser Solution to the Dairy and Beef Industry

(opens in a new window)Proveye, an Irish agri and climate tech company headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin, today announced that it has been awarded a European Space Agency (ESA) contract to complete the development and deployment of ProvVari. ProvVari is a breakthrough precision fertiliser solution designed to increase productivity and reduce costs for farmers, and significantly cut the environmental footprint of grassland farming across Europe.

For decades, artificial fertilisers have been central to European food production, but their widespread use has also contributed to nutrient loss, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. The mission of Proveye, which is pioneering AI-driven remote sensing for grassland management, is to change that.

With ESA’s backing through the ESA Spark Funding initiative, ProvVari will harness space technology to guide the precise application of fertilisers, reducing waste and environmental impact while maintaining productivity and profitability for farmers.

Built on Proveye’s ProvGrass platform, ProvVari will combine satellite imagery from ESA’s Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 multispectral missions with high-resolution l imagery drone, GNSS guidance, and soil and meteorological data. The technology will generate variable rate application maps that optimise fertiliser use, safeguard water quality, and support national and European climate and biodiversity goals.

“ProvVari has already drawn strong engagement from agri-advisors, machinery manufacturers, and seed and fertiliser companies, as well as a growing community of progressive Irish farmers. Together, these stakeholders reflect the urgent need for tools that help agriculture deliver food security while protecting natural ecosystems,” said, Jerome O’Connell, CEO, Proveye.

He added, “At Proveye, we see little trade-off between farming and nature, our technologies are designed to enable both to thrive, and this ESA contract is a major step forward in our mission to align agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship, biodiversity protection, food security and climate resilience.”

Peter Finnegan, Manager of ESA Space Solutions Centre Ireland, which administers the ESA Spark Funding mechanism, welcomed Proveye’s most recent ESA contract award and said, “The development of the ProvVari platform is an exciting new solution that will yield benefits for farmers and the environment alike, and is a timely intervention when positioned against the challenges of both increasing productivity and reducing negative environmental impact simultaneously.” 

ProvVari will be launched first in Ireland in Q1 2026 before expanding to international markets. Alongside supporting farmers, ProvVari will also provide regulators and policymakers with a powerful mechanism to manage fertiliser use sustainably, contributing to healthier soils, cleaner waters, and more resilient landscapes across Europe.

ENDS

6 November 2025

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, NovaUCD, e: (opens in a new window)miceal.whelan@ucd.ie or Benjamin Sullivan, Proveye, e: (opens in a new window)bsullivan@proveye.io.

Editors Notes

Proveye is an agri and nature tech company headquartered in Ireland. By combining AI-driven remote sensing with space, aerial, and field data, Proveye develops solutions that help farmers increase profitability while restoring ecosystems, reducing emissions, and supporting climate and biodiversity targets in the world’s grassland habitats. (opens in a new window)https://www.proveye.io/

ESA Space Solutions Centre Ireland was established in 2016 and is part of the largest space innovation network in the world. Across ESA Member States, the ESA Space Solutions network supports European start-ups and SMEs in developing businesses that use space technology and data. It provides funding, business, and technical support to foster successful businesses and create sustainable jobs.

ESA Space Solutions Ireland is composed of seven Consortium Partners: Tyndall National Institute (Lead Partner), Atlantic Technological University, Maynooth University, Munster Technological University, Technological University of the Shannon, University College Dublin, and Dublin City University. The local partner is Enterprise Ireland, which acts as the contact point for Ireland’s National Delegation to ESA along with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. (opens in a new window)https://www.esaspacesolutions.ie/