Case Study - How Ocean Ledger Delivered Complex R&D

Content At a Glance

• Sector: Satellite analytics / geospatial technology 

• Innovation: Processing and analysing satellite data to understand coastal environments 

• R&D Focus: Automating workflows, scaling data analysis, and training models 

• Outcome: Successful R&D claim with fast HMRC repayment 

• Support: End-to-end guidance from RandDTax 

Turning Satellite Data into Environmental Insight

Ocean Ledger is a geospatial analytics company focused on understanding coastal environments through satellite data.

Led by CEO Paige Roepers, the business processes and analyses satellite imagery to:

• Map ecosystems 

• Track shoreline changes 

• Identify environmental trends 

These insights help organisations managing coastal assets better understand risk and environmental impact.

The R&D Challenge: Scaling Complex Data Workflows

At the heart of Ocean Ledger’s innovation is a highly technical R&D programme.

With a small team of engineers specialising in remote sensing and data science, the company is developing:

• Advanced processing workflows to analyse satellite imagery 

• Algorithms and models trained to interpret environmental data 

• Scalable systems to handle large volumes of geospatial and in-situ data 

A key focus is standardisation and automation—ensuring that complex analytical processes can be reliably repeated and deployed across projects.

As Paige explains, much of the work involves:

“research and development around the workflows… to train our models and scale up the data we have for each project.”

Why Specialist R&D Advice Was Essential

For Ocean Ledger, claiming R&D tax relief wasn’t something they could approach alone.

“We absolutely needed to have advice… as a small business you have to be savvy about your resources.”

Key challenges included:

• Interpreting eligibility within complex technical work 

• Managing time and budget constraints 

• Navigating evolving HMRC requirements 

RandDTax provided a balance of:

• Hands-on guidance 

• Independent administrative support 

This removed much of the internal burden:

“A lot of the thinking and administrative hurdles were taken away.”

The Outcome: Efficient Process, Fast Repayment

Despite some delays due to accounting timelines, the claim process:

• Took a few months to prepare 

• Delivered a quick HMRC response and repayment 

The result was not just financial support, but a clearer understanding of how to approach future claims.

Supporting Future Growth

R&D tax relief is now a core part of Ocean Ledger’s funding strategy, alongside:

• Grants 

• Venture capital 

• Commercial revenue 

“We will 100% continue to do R&D claims… and think about how we can do it even better next time.”

Client Feedback

• Satisfaction: Very satisfied with the process and support 

• Recommendation: 100% likely to recommend RandDTax 

Key Takeaway

For innovative startups like Ocean Ledger, R&D tax relief is more than a financial benefit—it’s a strategic tool. With the right guidance, even highly complex projects can be translated into successful, compliant claims.

See more Case Studies claiming R&D tax credit and RDEC

See what qualifies as R&D in different industries