UK‑based startup EcoNomad Solutions has received £230,000 in funding from the British Design Fund (BDF) to help small livestock farms cut methane emissions, reduce rising energy and fertiliser costs, and turn organic waste into renewable energy.
The investment forms part of a wider £400,000 funding round alongside an Innovate UK Investor Partnership grant, and additional support from existing investor Beeches Group.
Small and mid‑sized livestock farms across the UK and Europe face a triple challenge: rising energy and fertiliser costs, tightening regulations around slurry and waste management, and pressure to reduce methane emissions, with agriculture being one of the largest sources of man‑made methane globally. Yet most existing anaerobic digestion systems are built for large farms, making them too expensive, too complex, or simply too big for smaller operators.
EcoNomad’s flagship product, the BioNomad, is designed specifically to close this gap. The patented system captures methane that would otherwise be emitted, converts organic waste into biogas for heating, cooking or electricity, and produces high‑quality biofertiliser that reduces reliance on chemical inputs. A typical smallholding of around 50 cows may reduce energy and fertiliser expenditure by several thousand pounds per year, depending on farm operations and usage.
The idea for the BioNomad originated in Latin America, where founder Dr Ilan Adler saw how simple, decentralised waste‑to‑energy systems could support rural livelihoods.
After moving to the UK for his PhD at UCL more than 15 years ago, Dr Adler recognised that the core challenges around waste management were remarkably similar across both developed and emerging markets. This insight led him to design a system tailored for colder climates, smaller farms, and the regulatory landscape of the UK and Europe.
With more than two decades of experience in environmental engineering, specialising in wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion and renewable energy, combined with entrepreneurial work overseas, Dr Adler was well‑placed to take the concept forward. A Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship supported the early development of the BioNomad, culminating in a patented, commercially deployable system now operating on farms across the UK and internationally.
Dr Ilan Adler, Founder & CEO of 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.”
EcoNomad’s technology is already deployed on 10+ farms across the UK, with additional installations in Africa, and successful trials with insect farms, food waste streams, and integrated renewable systems combining biogas, solar and wind to charge batteries for electric vehicles.
The company’s core focus is dairy, beef, pig and poultry farms, including off‑grid and rural communities, in the UK, Europe and beyond.
Damon Bonser, CEO of the 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.”
Over the next few years, EcoNomad Solutions aims to evolve the BioNomad® into a fully automated, plug‑and‑play system, making operation even simpler for farmers. Alongside product optimisation, the company is focused on scaling commercial deployment across the UK before exploring expansion into Europe and emerging markets, with the long‑term ambition of making on‑farm waste‑to‑energy more accessible for small farms.
Image: Ilan Adler. EcoNomad CEO & Founder, Roger Duckett from Organic Herd, an EcoNomad partner, David Ruvubi, EcoNomad representative in Rwanda and Uganda.
Would you like to write the first comment?
Login to post comments