Oxi-Tech transformed its Pulse OxidationTM technology from a promising innovation into a commercially validated solution for the dairy sector.
Independent trials proved it could disinfect and clean milking equipment without heat or harmful chemicals, giving the business the evidence it needed to enter the market, secure its first customers and begin international sales.
With support from the UK Agri-Tech Centre, Oxi-Tech gained access to funding, specialist expertise and industry connections that would have been difficult to secure independently. That support helped the business demonstrate its performance under real farming conditions and accelerate its route to market.
Impact at a glance
- Grant funding: £184,000 Innovate UK funding secured
- Technology progression: Demonstrated on a commercial robotic dairy farm
- Commercialisation: Product launched in December 2024
- International sales: Orders received from the UK, US and Italy
- Commercial partnerships: Sales secured with major OEMs including GEA
- Industry recognition: Highlighted by Environment Secretary as “technology that makes a real difference”
The challenge
Founded in 2017, Oxi-Tech developed a patented Pulse OxidationTM system that disinfects and cleans water using small amounts of electricity to generate charged oxygen. Unlike conventional systems, it requires no heat or harmful chemicals and produces no waste products, offering a more sustainable approach to water disinfection.
While the technology had applications across several industries, the business identified a significant opportunity in dairy farming. Robotic milking systems depend on effective cleaning to protect milk quality and animal health, yet most still rely on chemical and heat-based cleaning processes. Oxi-Tech believed there was a better way.
The technical challenge had largely been solved, but the commercial challenge had not.
Although early testing had demonstrated promising results, the business needed independent evidence from commercial dairy farms before farmers and equipment manufacturers would be willing to adopt an unfamiliar technology. As a small company with limited experience of the agricultural sector, Oxi-Tech also lacked the industry networks needed to access farms and potential customers.
“We needed UK Agri-Tech Centre’s expertise,” explained Paul Morris CEO of Oxi-Tech.
“They knew the audience, the farmer, the end user, how the market works and how the ecosystem operates. They also played a vital coordination role – I couldn’t have gone to farmers and say ‘This product is excellent, please buy it’, then engage and vet appropriate install partners and innovative farms, myself. As a scale up business at our stage of maturity, It would have taken many years to progress.”
The support
The UK Agri-Tech Centre helped Oxi-Tech do much more than test the product. It gave the business a route into the dairy industry.
Paul stressed how critical this was to their success, saying, “We simply wouldn’t have the resources to penetrate the dairy sector without the help of the UK Agri-Tech Centre.”
The collaboration began by strengthening Oxi-Tech’s Innovate UK funding application by adding market research and sector insight, helping the business secure £184,000 to carry out commercial validation. For a growing SME, this allowed it to generate the evidence that customers and investors expect to see before buying into new technology.
The Centre then brought together the expertise needed to deliver a robust commercial trial. It identified suitable dairy farms, connected Oxi-Tech with milk microbiology specialists at Quality Milk Management Services and coordinated trials on a commercial robotic dairy farm. Instead of spending months trying to establish relationships from scratch, Oxi-Tech was able to immediately start work with trusted partners who understood both the science and the practical realities of dairy farming.
Support also extended beyond the trial itself. Through product demonstrations, seminars and active engagement with Government agencies and industry stakeholders, the UK Agri-Tech Centre helped Oxi-Tech establish a presence in the dairy sector and begin building relationships that would continue beyond the project.
What changed?
Before the project, Oxi-Tech had confidence in its technology but little evidence that would persuade the dairy industry to adopt it. Independent trials in a
farm setting changed that – giving farmers and equipment manufacturers the confidence to move from interest to purchase.
The trials showed that Oxi-Tech’s Pulse OxidationTM system successfully controlled mastitis-causing bacteria and could provide a viable alternative to conventional clean-in-place washing systems.
Beyond generating technical evidence, the project also elevated Oxi-Tech’s profile across the agricultural sector. Recognition by the Environment Secretary, who described it as “technology that makes a real difference”, reinforced the industry recognition the business had built.
For Oxi-Tech, the biggest outcome wasn’t simply proving the technology worked. It was becoming a business that farmers and industry partners were prepared to buy from.
“The validation trials gave the product greater credibility, increased its market value for agricultural use and accelerated adoption,” said Paul.
Business and industry impact
That progress quickly translated into commercial success.
The business launched its dairy offering in late 2024 and began receiving orders from customers in the UK, United States and Italy. Oxi-Tech also secured sales with major original equipment manufacturers, including GEA, creating valuable routes into the market through established industry partners rather than relying solely on direct sales.
Working the UK Agri-Tech Centre helped transform Oxi-Tech from an unknown business in the dairy sector to one with a commercially validated product and growing demand in the UK and overseas. Successful trials, early customer orders and relationships with leading equipment manufacturers have created a strong platform for future growth.
Their system offers dairy farmers a practical alternative to conventional cleaning methods. It reduces reliance on chemicals and high-temperature water, lowering energy use while maintaining the hygiene standards essential for milk production.
Oxi-Tech’s progress shows how independent commercial proof and the right network can help innovative technologies overcome one of the biggest barriers to adoption within a risk-conscious industry. As more farmers adopt proven alternatives to traditional products and systems, the sector can improve sustainability without compromising food safety or productivity.
What’s next?
With commercial trials complete and the product now on the market, Oxi-Tech is well positioned to build on the momentum created by the project. Early orders from the UK, US and Italy, alongside sales to major OEMs including GEA, provide a strong foundation for wider adoption of the technology across the dairy sector. The performance data generated through the project has given the business the credibility it needs to continue expanding its commercial reach.
