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An Abu Dhabi-based desert tech venture is inviting women-led agtech startups from Israel, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to participate in a pilot program to bring innovative agtech solutions to the United Arab Emirates to help address the Key Issues The challenge of food insecurity.
“We face the same climate issues, and in Israel we have many years of experience in desert technology,” Shelley Shahar, Tel Aviv-based co-founder of Dana Global, told The Times of Israel. “Our idea is to bring these technologies to Abu Dhabi and the UAE as they are looking for technologies to support their agri-food sector.”
“They’re in the desert, so it’s common for both of us,” Shahar added.
In recent years, Israel has developed into a hotbed of desert technologies in the fields of agriculture, energy, water and infrastructure.According to a survey, more than 300 Israeli startups are developing technologies specifically for or potentially adapted to desert environments Report National Center for DeserTech and Startups.
Founded in 2020, Dana is a regional venture capital builder and investment platform for early-stage women-led desert tech startups focused on agtech, foodtech, water solutions, and renewable energy to help Farmers for the Waste Management Challenge. It is backed by US venture capitalist David Sable and supports start-ups through regional collaborations, mentorship and funding.
On Monday, Dana announced a new partnership agreement with Abu Dhabi-based agtech investor Silal to attract agtech and innovation into Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem and address challenges such as resource scarcity, local production and food security.
Explanation: An undated photo of a farmer inspecting cherry tomatoes in the western Negev. (Gigliari/Flash90)
“There is clearly a serious risk of food insecurity in the Middle East, and doing nothing is not an option,” said Dana co-founder Katie Wachsberger. “Through this partnership, we can better support the brilliant entrepreneurs we Most of them are women from the region.”
“As a complement to the test sites we are already operating, we plan to launch new pilots and collect vital data to grow the ecosystem and encourage entrepreneurs to realize their dreams,” she added.
As part of the Dana and Silal joint venture, 10 startups from Israel and throughout the MENA region will be selected each year to participate in the planning chain of agricultural projects in the areas of salinity, irrigation, crop optimization, post-harvest and supply, pest management, Fertilization and system efficiency.
“We are doing deal sourcing from Israel to ensure that the technologies selected provide solutions to the most pressing needs, and we are also doing due diligence on startups,” said Shahar, Dana’s chief strategy officer. “The partnership with Silal provides a suitable platform for startups working on desert technologies to scale up.”
The partnership follows IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva’s recent announcement that more than 141 million people in Arab countries are at risk of food insecurity, Dana said in a statement.
Dana plans to work with pre-seed start-ups from across the MENA region to coordinate proof-of-concept and feasibility testing at test sites. The Regional Desert Technology Accelerator is currently working with six companies from the UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Territories, focusing on sustainability in desert climates.
Pakistani-American leader inspects Desert Agriculture Technology (Sharaka) at Shaar HaNegev Regional Council September 19, 2022
Among Dana’s Israeli startups are Dayts, a food tech start-up that has developed a solution that turns date residue into a functional, clean-label ingredient for the food and beverage industry; Viridix, an AI-precise Developer of irrigation systems.
“The most promising candidates in Dana’s corporate portfolio will graduate from late-stage pilots of Silal’s planned products,” Dana said.
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