The UAE has launched a third round of its FoodTech Challenge to incentivize start-ups to propose new solutions that have the potential to transform food systems amid rising temperatures and other environmental challenges.
Unveiled at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting during the UN General Assembly in September, the FoodTech Challenge is organised by the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and Tamkeen, and delivered in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, ne’ma, the UAE’s Food Loss and Waste Initiative, and Silal, a leading UAE agri-tech firm.
The competition is looking to identify four early-stage, tech-driven ideas from around the world that the UAE can support for roll-out across the Global South. The three key focus areas will be: food and water, food and energy, and food loss and waste.
In addition to a share of the $2m in prize money, the winners will receive expert support and the opportunity to use the UAE as a launchpad to scale their ideas to underserved markets across the Global South, where climate change and rising prices are disproportionately exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition.
“With the rising demands for food, water, and energy in the face of climate change, we need bold action, innovative thinking, and a transformative approach to our food systems,” said Mariam Almheiri, head of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge, who attended the competition launch in New York.
Echoing this, Rodger Voorhies, president of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: “As food insecurity rises globally and climate change continues to disrupt the sensitive task of raising crops and livestock, we must support innovative solutions and technologies that ensure stable food systems.”
"We are providing resources and support to scale their solutions, fast-tracking efforts to meet the global goals for food security.”
Rima Al Mokarrab, Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge
"In the UAE, innovation is part of our DNA, and we’ve learned that the key to accelerating the pace of progress lies in combining forward-thinking ideas with partnership, inclusivity, and early-stage investment," explained Rima Al Mokarrab, Chair of Tamkeen and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge.
She added: “The FoodTech Challenge harnesses this philosophy by identifying and connecting promising early-stage innovators with a wide network of partners. We are providing the resources and support needed to scale their solutions, fast-tracking efforts to meet the global goals for food security.”
The FoodTech Challenge, now in its third year, is supported by UAE-based start-up accelerators Hub71, Sheraa, and startAD, as well as organizations like the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), AGRA, and Al Tamimi & Company.
The last two rounds of the competition attracted more than 1,100 applications from start-ups across 98 countries. Some of these entries have included novel techniques for developing carbon-negative plant-based protein, reducing food waste using AI image recognition, and maintaining the cellular structure of food while hyper-freezing.
Several past winners have been able to take their ideas to scale. One example is Saudi agritech firm Iyris (formerly Red Sea Farms), which has raised more than $34m since winning the competition and is now implementing its technologies across Silal farms in Abu Dhabi.
Applications for the FoodTech Challenge close on 12 December 2024 and finalists will be selected in April 2025. Entrants can submit their applications at www.foodtechchallenge.com.
