Abu Dhabi-based desert tech venture builder invites women-led agtech startups from Israel, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to pilot programs to bring innovative agtech solutions to the United Arab Emirates, We help address key issues. Challenges to food insecurity.
“We share the same climate challenges and in Israel we have years of experience working with technology in the desert,” said Sherry Shahar, co-founder of Tel Aviv-based Dana Global, in The Times of Israel. told to “The idea is to bring these technologies to Abu Dhabi and the UAE as they are looking for technologies to support the agri-food sector.”
“They are in the desert, so this is something we both have in common,” Shahar added.
In recent years, Israel has developed into a hotbed of desert technology in the fields of agriculture, energy, water and infrastructure. According to a report by DeserTech and Start-Up Nation Central, more than 300 Israeli startups are developing technologies that are either specialized or potentially adaptable to desert environments.
Founded in 2020, Dana is a desert tech company focused on agritech, foodtech, water solutions and renewable energy to help farmers face food security and waste management challenges. Acts as a regional venture builder and investment platform for early-stage women-led startups. It is backed by US venture capitalist David Sable and supports startups through community collaboration, mentorship and funding.
On Monday, Dana announced a new partnership agreement with Abu Dhabi-based agritech investor Silal to attract agricultural technology and innovation to Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem to address challenges such as resource scarcity, local production and food security. Did.
Example: Undated image of a western Negev farmer inspecting a cherry tomato harvest. (Giri Yaari/Flash90)
“The Middle East is currently at significant food insecurity risk and doing nothing is not an option,” said Katie Waxberger, co-founder of Dana. can be better supported, most of them women from the region.”
“To complement the beta site we already operate, we plan to launch a new pilot to collect key data to drive ecosystem growth and encourage entrepreneurs to realize their dreams. It is,” she added.
As part of Dana and Silal’s joint venture, 10 start-ups are selected annually from Israel and across the MENA region to participate in a program of agricultural projects in the areas of salinity, irrigation, crop optimization, post-harvest and supply. increase. Chain, pest control, fertilization, system efficiency.
“We are sourcing from Israel to ensure that the technology chosen provides a solution to our most pressing needs. We also conduct a due diligence process on startups,” he said. said Shahar, Chief Strategy Officer at Dana. “Our collaboration with Silal provides the right platform for startups in desert technology to scale.”
The partnership began when International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva recently announced that more than 141 million people in Arab countries are at risk of food insecurity, Dana said. said in a statement.
The Dana program will work with pre-seeded startups in the MENA region to coordinate proof-of-concept and feasibility testing on beta sites. The Regional Desert Technology Accelerator is currently working with six of his companies in the UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Territories, with a strong focus on desert climate sustainability.
Pakistani-American leader (Sharaka) discusses desert agrotech at Shaar HaNegev Regional Council, Sept. 19, 2022
One of the Israeli startups in Dana’s cohort is Dayts. This is a foodtech start-up that has developed a solution to turn date waste into a functional, clean and labeled ingredient for the food and beverage industry. And Viridix, a developer of AI-powered precision irrigation systems.
“The most promising candidates in Dana’s portfolio of companies graduate to late-stage pilots within the program offered by Silal,” said Dana.
