KAUST Innovation Ventures

KAUST Innovation Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2010 and located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The firm focuses on fostering the emerging Saudi technology ecosystem by making seed and early-stage investments in high-tech startups across various sectors, including energy and environment, food and water, advanced materials, robotics, information and communications technology, and healthcare. By acting as a long-term strategic partner, KAUST Innovation Ventures supports its portfolio companies through mentorship and acceleration programs offered by its Entrepreneurship Center. The firm aims to cultivate an innovation-driven investment community and attract both local and international investors to contribute to the growth of innovative technologies in the region.

Ian Campbell

Interim Vice President and Executive Director of Special Projects, Office of President

Kevin Cullen Ph.D

Vice President of Innovation and Economic Development

Past deals in Water

NuRain

Seed Round in 2024
NuRain is a technology company specializing in sustainable water management. It develops and deploys innovative wastewater treatment solutions, combining Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) and Gravity-Driven Membrane (GDM) technologies. This unique approach aims to reduce energy consumption and minimize sludge production, making wastewater treatment more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Red Sea Farms

Venture Round in 2022
Red Sea Farms is a company based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializing in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for saltwater and desert environments. It focuses on developing innovative technologies that enhance produce cultivation while conserving water and energy. The company offers a range of products and services, including technical consultancy, design, and project management for greenhouse and hydroponic farming systems. With its patent-pending technology, Red Sea Farms aims to enable farms to produce higher quality food more efficiently, ultimately increasing profitability in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Red Sea Farms

Series A in 2021
Red Sea Farms is a company based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializing in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for saltwater and desert environments. It focuses on developing innovative technologies that enhance produce cultivation while conserving water and energy. The company offers a range of products and services, including technical consultancy, design, and project management for greenhouse and hydroponic farming systems. With its patent-pending technology, Red Sea Farms aims to enable farms to produce higher quality food more efficiently, ultimately increasing profitability in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Red Sea Farms

Seed Round in 2020
Red Sea Farms is a company based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializing in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for saltwater and desert environments. It focuses on developing innovative technologies that enhance produce cultivation while conserving water and energy. The company offers a range of products and services, including technical consultancy, design, and project management for greenhouse and hydroponic farming systems. With its patent-pending technology, Red Sea Farms aims to enable farms to produce higher quality food more efficiently, ultimately increasing profitability in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Iyris

Seed Round in 2019
Iyris Advanced Desert Greenhouses specializes in agriculture glazing solutions aimed at enhancing crop production in desert environments. The company leverages advanced agroclimatic technology that integrates climate control, plant science, and intelligent control systems to promote sustainable food production in water-scarce regions. By collaborating with leading glass manufacturers, Iyris offers ultra-clear glazing equipped with innovative anti-reflective and light diffusive coatings. This approach not only reduces the carbon and water footprint of agriculture but also empowers local farmers to cultivate food using fewer resources. Iyris is committed to designing sustainable agricultural technologies that effectively address the challenges posed by harsh climates, ultimately lowering costs and improving crop yields.

Red Sea Farms

Seed Round in 2019
Red Sea Farms is a company based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializing in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for saltwater and desert environments. It focuses on developing innovative technologies that enhance produce cultivation while conserving water and energy. The company offers a range of products and services, including technical consultancy, design, and project management for greenhouse and hydroponic farming systems. With its patent-pending technology, Red Sea Farms aims to enable farms to produce higher quality food more efficiently, ultimately increasing profitability in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Iyris

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Iyris Advanced Desert Greenhouses specializes in agriculture glazing solutions aimed at enhancing crop production in desert environments. The company leverages advanced agroclimatic technology that integrates climate control, plant science, and intelligent control systems to promote sustainable food production in water-scarce regions. By collaborating with leading glass manufacturers, Iyris offers ultra-clear glazing equipped with innovative anti-reflective and light diffusive coatings. This approach not only reduces the carbon and water footprint of agriculture but also empowers local farmers to cultivate food using fewer resources. Iyris is committed to designing sustainable agricultural technologies that effectively address the challenges posed by harsh climates, ultimately lowering costs and improving crop yields.

Red Sea Farms

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Red Sea Farms is a company based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializing in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for saltwater and desert environments. It focuses on developing innovative technologies that enhance produce cultivation while conserving water and energy. The company offers a range of products and services, including technical consultancy, design, and project management for greenhouse and hydroponic farming systems. With its patent-pending technology, Red Sea Farms aims to enable farms to produce higher quality food more efficiently, ultimately increasing profitability in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Medad Technologies

Seed Round in 2014
Medad Technologies Pte Ltd, founded in 2012 and based in Singapore, specializes in advanced desalination and water management technologies. The company focuses on applying adsorption desalination (AD) technology to address various water challenges, including the reclamation of contaminated water and achieving zero liquid discharge (ZLD). With exclusive licenses for key patents from the National University of Singapore and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Medad is committed to ongoing internal development of its AD technology. The company has successfully completed its first commercial AD desalination plant and has been tasked with constructing the world's first AD-Crystallizer plant, designed to further enhance ZLD capabilities. Medad’s innovative approach utilizes low-grade waste heat through a hybrid multiple-effect distillation and adsorption process, transforming rejected saline water into a reliable source of high-purity drinking water.

Watsup Systems

Seed Round in 2014
Watsup Systems is a manufacturer of real-time monitoring of surface fouling in filtration units and cooling systems.

ROFix

Seed Round in 2014
ROFix offers an accurate and reliable RO membrane fouling prediction device.

Green Desal

Seed Round in 2013
Desalination system based on low-pressure/low-temperature multi-stage membrane distillation

OsmoH2O

Seed Round in 2013
OsmoH2O provides sustainable water solutions through innovative water technologies.

Date Palm Tissue Cultivation

Seed Round in 2010
Date Palm Tissue Cultivation offers cultivation of drought-resistant palms with seawater irrigation and resistance to Red Palm Weevil.
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