The etailer and tech specialist has penned a series of large-scale partnerships at home and abroad over the last 18 months – such as those with Marks & Spencer, Kroger and Sobeys. But it has also been busy quietly acquiring stakes in several smaller companies operating at the technological forefront of food distribution.

In May, Ocado snapped up a minority stake in a robotic chef start-up called Karakuri, which uses robotic automation to assemble ready-to-eat meals.

And yesterday it lifted the lid on two separate deals in the realm of vertical farming.