Manchester Prize: Round 2 winner (published 10 July 2026)
Updated 10 July 2026
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BiofuelAi
BioFuelAi helps biogas plant operators produce more gas, reduce waste and make smarter operational decisions. Biogas plants turn organic waste like food scraps, animal manure, sewage and crop residues into energy. BiofuelAi’s physics-informed AI platform can:
- Analyse historical plant performance
- Enable scenario planning and energy forecasting
- Quantify biological and commercial risk
- Propose interventions to plant operators
BiofuelAi is a spin out from the University of Surrey and they will continue their operations in the South East. They plan to expand into Europe, add new capabilities to their AI platform such as demand flexibility and explore how biogas could be used in shipping and aviation.
BiofuelAi have received £1 million in UK Government funding to hire top AI talent and develop its AI platform. Start-ups like BioFuelAi help advance the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.