Cordon Technologies raises £1M to help farmers cut pesticide use through precision spraying

UK-based agritech startup, Cordon Technologies, has secured the first close of a £1 million funding round led by British Design Fund (BDF) to accelerate the development and commercial rollout of its precision spraying system for farmers and growers.

Cordon is developing a next-generation spraying system designed to help farmers dramatically reduce their use of pesticides and fertilisers.

With the sector facing rising input costs, increasing regulatory pressure, and an urgent need to improve environmental outcomes, this is a growing priority across agriculture. The innovation was born from real-world frustration.

Founder and CEO, Jamie Hutchinson, spent eight years running a vineyard in South West France, where he became increasingly frustrated by the limitations of conventional spraying equipment:

“Today’s sprayers treat every part of the crop the same, regardless of what it actually needs.

It’s a batch system that wastes chemicals, increases costs and contributes to unnecessary environmental impact. I knew there had to be a better way.”

He went on to develop the Loop, Cordon’s dynamic mixing and precision-control system.

The Loop enables farmers to adjust the concentration of multiple treatments simultaneously and in real time, ensuring each part of the crop receives exactly what it needs.

This turns spraying from a batch process into a continuously controlled one. The result is a step-change in efficiency, reducing chemical use while improving accuracy, consistency and operational performance.

The company has already gained early commercial traction in the UK vineyard sector, and aims to expand into vineyards across Europe and further afield, while also adapting its technology for a wider range of crops, including plant nurseries, vegetables, apples, and soft fruit.

According to Hutchinson:

“Farmers are under huge pressure to reduce chemical use without compromising yield or quality.

Our mission is to give them the tools to do exactly that. The Loop makes precision spraying practical, scalable and operationally efficient, and this investment from British Design Fund will allow us to accelerate development and bring the technology to more growers, more quickly.”

Damon Bonser, CEO of the British Design Fund, said:

“Cordon is tackling an important operational challenge in agriculture with a well-considered technical approach. We are pleased to support the team as they continue developing their product and progressing their commercial plans.”