Frontier Tech for Biodiversity
Biodiversity technology: promise and practical barriers
We can’t protect what we don’t understand. As the world’s biodiversity crisis gains speed, we need to monitor and analyse our planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems.
The use of Frontier Technologies to address biodiversity loss is gaining momentum in LMICs, promising to make monitoring faster, cheaper, and more accessible.
What you’ll find in this report
This report centres on five biodiversity innovations spanning Colombia, Kenya, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, that illustrate both the potential and the complexity of deploying biodiversity innovations in real-world settings.
From portable DNA sequencers identifying trafficked wildlife in Colombia to automated insect monitoring in Kenya and affordable deep-sea cameras, these tools can generate critical data to inform conservation decisions, strengthen enforcement, and unlock finance. But their success depends on much more than technological sophistication.
Drawing from these experiences, the report provides both individual and cross-cutting insights for policymakers, implementers and funders looking to translate high-potential technologies into real impact for nature.
Three key insights
Test assumptions, not just technology
Biodiversity innovations must test their riskiest assumptions early—not just build the tech first. Early market research revealed unexpected restraints, manufacturing delays, and policy barriers.
The environment determines the scale
By which we mean the enabling environment. No technology operates in isolation. Our most promising pilots demonstrated the critical value of partnerships, collaboration and in one case, resource pooling.
Data ecosystems shape what's possible
Without the right data ecosystem—including reference databases, cloud infrastructure, and shared standards—even proven technologies struggle to translate into decision-making and real-world impact.
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Explore our biodiversity pilots in more detail below:
Publish date: 30/10/2025