Innovate UK, a government agency who provide funding and support for science and technology innovations, have recently published a case study on Sussex Innovation member, Ambiental Technical Solutions. Thanks to the support and funding from Innovate UK, Ambiental have doubled their team and predict a 35% increase in revenue, compared to the business that first approached Innovate UK in 2011 with their flood risk and mapping software. Ambiental were awarded a grant of £62,500 from Innovate UK, to help reduce costs of a feasibility project with the British Geological Survey.

Ambiental are known for providing highly advanced flood mapping software, which is able to accurately model flooding events across the globe to risk consultants, insurers, property professionals and more. Ambiental intends to use the recent grant money to develop its sophisticated Flowroute software, by adding groundwater mapping and modelling features to their cloud-piercing, day/night satellite data.

In addition to the vast growth in jobs and revenue, support from this grant has allowed the company to continue to innovate, by using drones and Lidar radars to collect data in Cumbria. Developments like these have allowed the company to build another element to their services with 3D imagery. Here 3D computer-generated models are created that are able to provide even higher accuracy and clarity to aid emergency services.

Ambiental has proven to have an excellent platform for growth. In 2012 the company were awarded £14,000 by Innovate UK, for a proof of market study investigating the commercial viability of flood risk data as a service. It has then gone on to become a subscription service, FloodScoreTM, a technology which was the first of its kind and allowed for even greater accuracy and usefulness. This has proven pivotal in the insurance industry as it is now capable of predicting the risk of flood, either river, tidal or flash flooding, on any specific building in the UK. Insurers are now able to pinpoint flood risk and subsequently make better and quicker decisions.

Outside of these successes with Innovate UK, Ambiental continues to build its business internationally, with 40% of their revenue coming from abroad, particularly in Australia. They are also currently working on a number of contracts with the Environment Agency. In one they are sub-contracted to Telespazio Vega in building a national priority map for emergency services that considers radar imagery from satellites, population density and flood risk. They are also lead contractor to improve national flood resilience in the UK with early warning using synthetic aperture radar and hydrological modelling.

Ambiental is a global specialist in flood modelling, flood risk, and climate change and natural hazard analytics.