NatureMetrics, Surrey’s fast-growing global nature intelligence company, is continuing its expansion story with the opening of a new in-country partner laboratory in Indonesia.

The company, which was founded in 2014 and now has 200 employees, announced the addition of a independent testing site in West Java this week (24 June, 2024).

The new lab will enable NatureMetrics to reach new projects in one of the world’s top ‘megadiverse’ countries – opening up its world-leading eDNA service to new and current clients operating in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Those at the company add that it will also strengthen its global reach and better serve companies operating in the area who are striving to reduce their impact and improve reporting on nature.

It marks the continuation of the rapid growth of the business to meet the increasing international demand for biodiversity monitoring services.

Dimple Patel, CEO at NatureMetrics, said:

“Recognising the urgent global call for scalable and meaningful biodiversity monitoring, our expansion into Indonesia signifies a milestone in our ambition to become the world’s leading provider of nature intelligence services globally. We look forward to supporting more organisations in the whole APAC region deliver vital biodiversity insights to support their nature goals.”

NatureMetrics provides an end-to-end biodiversity reporting solution, providing companies with simple insights so that they can make the best decisions for nature and business.

By bringing advanced environmental DNA (eDNA) technology and nature intelligence expertise to Indonesia, it aims to empower local companies with the tools they need to achieve better outcomes for nature and drive sustainable development in the region.

NatureMetrics was founded in 2014 by tropical ecologist Dr Kat Bruce, who is a leading expert in the use of environmental DNA for biodiversity assessment.

In 2021 it announced a £6.5 million Series A investment and relocated to Surrey Research Park in Guildford.

The move helped the company expand from 50 to 70 employees while also scaling up the delivery of biodiversity data to businesses, NGOs and governments using DNA.

It also has a base in North America with a laboratory in Ontario, Canada.

The company is now working with over 500 customers across 100 countries, including Nestle, Tesco, Anglo American and Fauna & Flora.

The expansion into Southeast Asia ‍marks the continuation of a successful 2024 for the company. NatureMetrics was recently selected as a 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF) Technology Pioneer.

This brings together 100 early-stage start-ups from around the world, all working on cutting-edge technologies and innovations, to collaborate with society’s foremost political, business, and cultural leaders on the most pressing issues facing people and the planet.

For more details on how Surrey is at the forefront of the UK’s Net Zero drive, visit our Green and Net Zero page.

The UK’s first ever Games Innovation Zone has opened in Surrey as part of a £2.3 million programme helping to reinforce Guildford’s status as the UK’s ‘Hollywood of video games’.

The new space opened at the University of Surrey’s Stag Hill campus in Guildford last week (6 June). It is the epicentre for an exciting new venture that will bring together a top taskforce of world-class academics, local game developers and creative tech leaders, and amateur gamers and e-sport pros to solidify Surrey’s reputation as a leader in the global video game industry.

A UK-first, the new zone is part of a wider £2.3m programme called Games And Innovation Nexus (GAIN), which is part funded by Surrey County Council. It brings together cutting-edge academic research and expertise from fields such as AI, neuroscience, psychology, blockchain and metaverse with game developers and creative tech studios to cover every stage of game production – from concept to console.

Two especially notable academics contributing to the project are Prof. Ferrante Neri, a specialist in AI recognised by Stanford University as one of the top 2% of scientists worldwide, and Prof. Yu Xiong, Chair of the Advisory Board of the UK government’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Metaverse and Web 3.0.

Inside, the Games Innovation Zone is split into two distinct areas: an Innovation Cube for collaboration, and the Games Cube for testing and playing games.

Working together, in the Innovation Cube, the unique cooperative will use their world-class combined expertise and insights to tackle some of the gaming industry’s biggest challenges, fortifying Guildford’s gaming legacy, and shaping the future of video games.

The GAIN programme is funded by Research England, Surrey County Council, the University of Surrey, UCA Farnham, Warwick University, and Warwickshire County Council.

Along with enhancing the UK’s gaming industry outside of London, the programme aims to strengthen collaboration between Guildford Gaming and Silicon Spa, two of the UK’s biggest gaming clusters outside the capital.

Caroline Fleming, Director of the Surrey Innovation District, said:

“It’s so exciting to see the Games Innovation Zone come to life. As well as being the hub for academic collaboration, creativity and gameplay, today’s opening is a leap forward towards the next generation of gaming. The innovative solutions generated inside the new Zone will help to tackle the industry’s biggest challenges, showcasing to the world Guildford’s credentials as the UK’s ‘Hollywood for Video Games’.”

Dawn Redpath, Director for Economy and Growth at Surrey County Council, said:

“The games industry is one of Surrey’s real success stories, showcasing our county and its talented workforce on a global stage. We’re delighted to be working with our universities and industry partners to take this growing, innovative sector to new heights, creating high-quality jobs and generating inward investment into our communities – both of which would be good news for our residents.”