Others

Series A

Seed

Pre-Seed

PE Round

Series B

Debt Financing

Europe

Asia (ex. GCC & Levant)

Rest of World

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

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No longer active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.

Ha'il

iyris

Agriculture

Agritech

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

Utility Global

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)

Dubai

Verofax

Software Dev/Test

Software

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.

Jeddah

Natufia

Healthcare

Developed a unique indoor farming technology that creates the perfect environment for plants

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.

California

ClimateCrete

Construction

Makkah

Sadeem Technology

Technology

To save lives using technology that creates safe, smart, sustainable cities.

NoorDx

Biotech

Life Science

Genomics

Clinical Reporting

Genetic

Bioinformatics

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

UnitX

IT & Communication

AI/IoT

UnitX is a deep tech company that automates safety & security monitoring at industrial sites. Vizard, our patent-pending AI platform, leverages sensor data & video analytics to equip HSE & Security managers with real-time actionable insights.

Excyton (previously PeroLED)

Product Research

Develops novel display technology and designs based on perovskite materials.

Barakah

Food and Beverage

Pre-IPO

BrightSign

Information Technology

Sensor

Wearables

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

AgShift

AgTech

NOMADD

Industry

Desert Solutions

Dust Collection

Dust Control

Industrial Cleaning

With its cutting-edge technology, NOMADD provides a waterless, laborless, and fully automated cleaning system--an effective cleaning solution for solar arrays in desert environments.

Talon Dust Control

Founded by a team of experienced environmental and engineering professionals, Talon Dust Control is a leading dust control and soil stabilization company that offers a low-cost liquid spray-on solution.

Modus

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

Edama Organic Solutions

Intelligent Systems

Waste Management

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

FalconViz

FalconViz is an innovative data collection, processing, and visualization company with a focus on drone-based services.

SARsatX

Predictive Analytics

Analytics

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.

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

Albasr

Events

SaNoor

Telecommunications

Firnas Aero

Aerospace

Drones

Image Recognition

Information and Coommunications Technology (ICT)

Firnas Aero provides Drone as a Service (DaaS), providing unparalleled inspection services using aerial systems.

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.

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

Security

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

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.

Riyadh

Series C

White Helmet

White Helmet provides AI and computer vision technologies for tracking, inspection, and digital documentation of construction sites.

TRYSL Tech

Engineering

Saudi Catalyst Inc

Cairo

InCurA

Manufacturing

Medical

Medical Device

InCurA is a manufacturer of medical equipment for bleeding control in various types of dentistry and surgical procedures.

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.

Red Sea Farms raises additional $18.5 million to fuel expansion plans

DUBAI  - Saudi Arabian agriculture technology startup Red Sea Farms on Monday said it had raised $10 million which it would use to develop commercial scale farming facilities and expand into neighbouring United Arab Emirates.

Red Sea Farms, established in 2018, grows tomatoes in an environment-controlled, enclosed farm that primarily uses saltwater to cool greenhouses and irrigate crops. Fresh water is sparsely available in the predominantly desert Gulf region where arable land is also scarce.

Red Sea Farms aims to have between four to eight farming sites across six hectares in central and western Saudi Arabia and in Abu Dhabi, the UAE's largest emirate, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Ryan Lefers told Reuters.

"We are looking to also (grow) snack peppers, snack cucumbers as part of this round to really keep that focus around fresh (and) healthy," he said.

The company plans to sell produce in UAE supermarkets. Its tomatoes are already available in Saudi supermarkets.

Red Sea Farms has trialed its technology using a pilot saltwater greenhouse in Saudi Arabia's west at the King Abdullah University for Science & Technology.

Investors included Saudi Aramco's entrepreneurship arm Wa'ed, the Future Investment Initiative Institute, the King Abdullah University for Science & Technology and Dubai-based venture capital firm Global Ventures, Red Sea Farms said.

Saudi startup Red Sea Farms raises $10mln to fund expansion

Red Sea Farms, a Saudi Arabian startup developing saltwater-tolerant crops and saltwater-based greenhouses in the Middle East, has secured $1.9 million in funding.

The startup raised funding to build a 2,000 square meter saltwater greenhouse in Saudi Arabia comes from the country’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Innovation Fund and the Research Products Development Company (RPDC).

Building on six years of research at KAUST, Red Sea Farms is planning to produce 50 tons of tomatoes a year, starting in 2020. The tomatoes, which have high salinity tolerance, will be grown in up to 30% diluted seawater.

In addition to saving on freshwater requirements, Red Sea Farms say their production system makes the fruits exceptionally sweet, with high levels of vitamins and antioxidants.

The company’s ‘patent-pending system’ is also designed to be retrofitted into existing greenhouses to allow evaporative cooling with saltwater, to save freshwater. In this context, the company is aiming to retrofit 5% of Saudi Arabia’s greenhouses with the offer of a return on investment for farmers of less than two years.

Red Sea Farms Raises $1.9m to Grow Tomatoes in the Desert Using Saltwater

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

Statistics

Sectors we invest in

Top 11 sectors we invest in

Portfolio Companies
or Investments

Executive Team Members

About

Legal

Social Media

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

Statistics

Sectors we invest in

Top 11 sectors we invest in

Portfolio Companies or Investments

Executive Team Members

About

Legal

Social Media

Portfolio Companies
or Investments