Seed

Pre-Seed

PE Round

Others

Series A

Series B

Grant

Unknown Series Round

Pre-Series A

Thuwal

Dr. Kevin Cullen

Gary Rubin

Hattan Ahmed

If you're ready to take your business to the next level with KAUST Innovation, we want to hear your pitch.

Investment in Startup

KAUST Innovation Ventures: Explore funding focus, portfolio highlights, and key industries. Exclusive insights at Lucidity Insights.

KAUST Innovation Ventures

Pre-Seed to Seed

No longer active

Deeptech

Digital & ICT

Energy

Renewables

Environment

Foodtech

KAUST Innovation Ventures supports the University’s pipeline of deep-tech based startup companies. It also invests in high-profile international technology companies willing to establish their operations in Saudi Arabia and to benefit from synergies with KAUST.

Riyadh

iyris

Agriculture

Agritech

AgTech

Climate Tech

iyris is dedicated to using technology to feed the world sustainably, focusing on innovative solutions to global food security and environmental challenges.

Utility Global

Omniful

E-Commerce

Predictive Analytics

Retail Technology

SaaS

Software

Supply Chain Management

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Warehousing

Omniful is a fast-growing B2B SaaS startup. We specialize in omnichannel retail, retail, and logistics technology solutions.

QD Solar Inc.

Sustainable

Solar Engineering

Solar Panel

Nanotechnology

QD Solar Inc. is a cutting-edge solar materials company specializing in the development of advanced multilayered solar photovoltaics to harvest significantly larger amounts of solar radiation.

Lihytech (Lithium Infinity)

Mining

Lihytech has patented a lithium extraction technology based on membranes.

Dubai

Verofax

Software Dev/Test

Pharmaceuticals

Food

Web3

Verofax offers CPG brands economic Digital twin solutions to turn every item interactive for unmatched brand metrics and operational excellence: 
- Lower your cost of acquisition by 70% and grow customer satisfaction with immersive product experience. 
- Boost your promotional ROI up to 100X vs "under-the-cap code" with frictionless validated redemption.
- Acquire 1000X more data points direct from consumers vs walled gardens and achieve impossible NPS scores.

Central Region

Medad Technologies

Water Purification

Medad Technologies Pte Ltd (Singapore) was founded in 2012 to apply AD technology to desalination, the reclamation of a variety of “problem” waters, zero liqud discharge (“ZLD”) and the generation of very high-purity water.

Jeddah

SARsatX

Analytics

Earth Observation

Space Technology

We design and develop Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payloads to provide Earth Observation data and analytics using AI/ ML. With the ability of the SAR constellation from Low Earth Orbit, we can serve the Agriculture, Environment, Financial, Oil & gas, and Insurance sectors. SARsat provides a fast, accurate, and comprehensive analysis. Unlike limited optical data, SAR imagery can be captured day and night, sunny or cloudy. SARsat provides reliable insights from SPACE for better decisions on EARTH.

California

ClimateCrete

Construction

Makkah

Sadeem Technology

Intelligent Systems

Information Technology

Smart Cities

Data Visualization

Sadeem helps our clients build smart cities.

Excyton (previously PeroLED)

Technology

Product Research

Develops novel display technology and designs based on perovskite materials.

NoorDx

Healthcare

Life Science

Genomics

Clinical Reporting

Bioinformatics

Research & Development

Diagnostics

NoorDx is a biotechnology company that specializes in the utilization of genomics in the healthcare, research and development, and environmental sectors.

Barakah

Food and Beverage

Marketplace

Waste Management

Food Delivery

Barakah is an online marketplace for food retailers to sell their surplus products & meals.

BrightSign

Sensor

Wearables

BrightSign is a data glove wired with sensors to translate sign language hand gestures to text and speech.

AgShift

Edama Organic Solutions

Edama Organic Solutions recycles organic waste into innovative agricultural products tailored to arid environments

Quantum Solutions

Image Sensors

Photodetectors

Semiconductor Manufacturing

X-ray

Quantum Solutions is a company that specializes in developing and supplying Quantum Dot (QDot) materials for a wide range of image sensors, including SWIR, MWIR, and X-ray image sensors.

Wayakit

Biotechnology

Hospitality

Research

Cleaning

Hygiene

Wayakit is a biotech-based company that develops effective hygiene formulations that aims to help their customers implement a waterless laundry strategy.

Scimagine

Blockchain

Database

Cloud Data Services

Developer of a cloud-based data service designed to help in the collection, extraction, and categorization of scientific experimental data. The company's platform helps scientists to publish their experimental data, preventing the wasting of expensive scientific experiments and catalyzing the sharing of knowledge, enabling clients to receive a structured database so that they can get assistance in their research.

NuRain

Water

Wastewater Management

Sustainability

Environmental Services

Innovation

NuRain is a pioneering wastewater treatment company that leverages KAUST-developed technology to provide decentralized solutions, producing high-quality irrigation water through its patented Aerobic Granular Sludge and Gravity-Driven Membrane process.

Firnas Aero

Aerospace

Drones

Image Recognition

Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Security

Aviation

Consulting

Firnas Aero is a manufacturer and service provider for subscription-based autonomous Drone-in-a-Box systems for B2B and B2G clients in the Surveillance and Inspection segments.

Albasr

Events

Albasr is a monitoring system to manage location of staff designated to control large crowds during events.

Intravides

Healthtech

Medical

Smart Assistant Surgeon Through Augmented Reality Solutions

Uvera

Uvera is a cutting-edge technology company that has developed a smart IoT device for households to significantly increase the shelf-life of fresh food up to 97% on average.

Date Palm Tissue Cultivation

Date Palm Tissue Cultivation offers cultivation of drought-resistant palms with seawater irrigation and resistance to Red Palm Weevil.

White Helmet

Computer Vision

WhiteHelmet is a AI Saudi company. Provides a solutions that enables project owners, engineers, and construction companies to manage and monitor the construction operations, document all the construction stages, and inspect the construction sites from anywhere and at any time in addition to many digital features for smart construction management.

Ha'il

Decision Science Technologies

Decision Science Technologies is a Saudi Knowledge Base Startup spun out of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to create  state-of-art  in optimization and decision under uncertainty

Mirai Solar

Operator of a solar energy company intended to expand the utilization of solar energy beyond conventional applications.

Nexys

Systems Integration

NEXYS is a technology-driven security company that offers tailored security solutions and expertly integrated systems for both residential and commercial properties.

SaherFlow

Industry

AI/IoT

Automation

Cloud Services

Oil and Gas

Saher Flow Solutions is a leading provider of cutting-edge solutions for optimizing upstream production operations that offers 24/7 reliable measurements for the entire life of the well.

TRYSL Tech

Engineering

Saudi Catalyst Inc

Cairo

InCurA

Manufacturing

Medical Device

InCurA is a healthtech startup specializing in the development and manufacturing of medical products for bleeding control in various types of dentistry and surgical procedure, including wound dressings and hemostatic agents.

Modus

Modus offers reliable drilling tools to improve drilling performance and to address wellbore quality and downhole tool-related to non-productive time

amplifAI Health

Personal Health

amplifAI empowers healthcare with portable thermal imaging and advanced computer vision for early disease management insights.

Saudi Arabia-based spacetech SARsatX has raised $2.6 million in a Seed round, led by TONOMUS, with participation from Wa’ed Ventures (Aramco), Access Bridge Ventures, and KAUST Innovation Ventures.
Founded in 2019 by Ahmed Alzubairi and Muhannad Almutiry as a spin-off from KAUST’s TAQADAM Accelerator, SARsatX designs and builds small satellites with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capabilities to deliver Earth Observation data. Its applications include deforestation monitoring, oil leakage detection, disaster management, border security, urban development, and search and rescue.

Saudi spacetech SARsatX raises $2.6 million Seed

KAUST Innovation Fund Portfolio

Amplifai Health has successfully closed a new funding round, securing strategic investments from Wa’ed by Aramco, Plug and Play, and KAUST Innovation Ventures, alongside existing investors Techstars and Lamarka.

Amplifai Health Closes New Funding Round

#KAUSTPortfolio congratulates NuRain on closing their $600,000 seed funding round! 
 
NuRain, a wastewater treatment startup, is leading the way in advanced water reuse technologies, offering a groundbreaking solution that aligns with the Kingdom’s National Water Strategy 2030. Supported by #KAUST, NuRain’s innovative AGS-GDM technology has been successfully demonstrated at full scale, providing superior efficiency in recycling treated wastewater for agricultural and industrial applications. This technology not only enhances water quality but also optimizes energy use, setting a new benchmark for sustainable water management.
 
NuRain is driving a more resilient future for water resource management in water-scarce regions.
#SaudiVision2030

KAUST's LinkedIn Post

Saudi-Arabian wastewater treatment start-up NuRain has secured €555,000 Seed Funding that will be used to build local technical and commercial capabilities as the company seeks to scale its sludge reduction technology to commercial projects.
 
Who led the funding round?
The funding round was led by Kaust (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) Innovation Ventures (KIV). Writing on LinkedIn, KIV congratulated NuRain on closing the funding round, adding that the company is 'is leading the way in advanced water reuse technologies, offering a groundbreaking solution that aligns with the Kingdom's National Water Strategy 2030'.

Seed funding secured for wastewater sludge treatment

KAUST startup Lihytech has raised $6 million in Seed funding for its lithium extraction technology from seawater. The investment is led by Saudi Arabian mining company Ma'aden with $4 million and KAUST Innovation Ventures with $2 million. The funds will be used to build a pilot facility at KAUST to extract lithium from the Red Sea and other resources. The technology, developed by Professor Zhiping Lai, aims to address the growing demand for lithium, driven by the electric vehicle industry.

KAUST startup Lihytech raises $6 Million for lithium extraction from seawater

Lihytech, a Saudi-based lithium startup, has raised $6 million in Seed funding from Ma’aden and KAUST Innovation Ventures. The investment will be used to build a pilot facility to extract lithium from the Red Sea using a patented membrane-based technology developed by Professor Zhipig Lai at KAUST. This technology aims to make lithium extraction economically feasible and supports Saudi Arabia's mining capabilities and the adoption of electric vehicles.

Saudi Lithium Startup Lihytech Raises $6 Million in Funding

Startup Story: Edama Organic Solutions

The startup has since made strides- originally launched with initial funding from Nasraldeen's own personal savings of $150,000, it has gained a $5,000 prize from the MIT Enterprise Forum, followed by an additional $250,000 of convertible notes from the KAUST Innovation Fund. It has also acquired a $100,000 grant by winning the first place in KAUST's TAQADAM Startup Accelerator program in 2019

Saudi Drone Startup Firnas Aero To Cut Down Time And Resources Required To Inspect Airport Runways

The healthcare spinout has previously received seed investment from KAUST Innovation Ventures, the University’s venture capital arm, and has also been supported in this initiative by the KAUST Core Labs and Research Infrastructure, and Department of Health, Safety and Environment to build out the laboratory facility which will be operated by the startup.

Noor DX launches new KAUST-developed COVID-19 test kit

Red Sea Farms, the Saudi Arabia and UAE AgTech business whose one-of-a-kind technology enables commercial farming using a low energy, zero freshwater sustainable climate control, announces a $18.5 million strategic fund raise. 

The fund raise was co-led by Wa’ed - the venture capital arm of Saudi Aramco and The Savola Group - the leading strategic investment holding group in MENA food and retail, through their corporate venture capital program. KAUST Innovation Fund, one of Red Sea Farms’ original investors, is also participating, along with OlsonUbben LLC, an investment entity owned by Tony Olson and Jeffrey Ubben. Tony Olson is the CEO of SPINS, a leading wellness-focused data company and advocate for the Natural Product Industry, and Jeffrey Ubben is the Founder and Managing Partner at Inclusive Capital Partners and a pioneer in impact investing.  

Proceeds will support Red Sea Farms’ global and regional expansion plans – including expansion of the fresh produce business in the GCC.  Global expansion is focused on technology development, and productization - with first generation product sales expected by Q4 2022.

KAUST Innovation Ventures

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KAUST Innovation Ventures

Funding Deals, by Startup Growth Stage

Funding Deals, by Region

No. of Portfolio Companies

Total No. of Investments Globally, by Year

We Invest in Startups in the Following Stages

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Top 10 sectors we invest in

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Portfolio Companies
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