Latest news with #HyveGeo
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Al Etihad
UAE's homegrown tech startups showcase nation's innovation drive at VivaTech in Paris
16 June 2025 00:11 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)UAE innovators and tech startups have showcased a diverse array of products, services, and solutions on the global stage, reinforcing the country's growing influence as a hub for digital advancement and by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, the UAE participated in VivaTech 2025, held in Paris from June 11 to 14. More than 50 entities offered European entrepreneurs and investors a compelling glimpse into the UAE's rapidly evolving tech the participants were three startups backed by the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED), each introducing cutting-edge developments spanning artificial intelligence, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and sustainable biochar solutions. Vcharge's EV Infrastructure Vcharge, one of the KFED-backed firms at VivaTech, has been supporting the UAE's Net Zero 2050 vision by developing and deploying EV charging solutions, making it easier for motorists to make the switch to green company has so far installed more than 8,000 chargers across the country — from private residences to commercial establishments, said Abdulaziz Saoud Alshamsi, Founder and CEO of Vcharge.'We focus on local manufacturing and the development of smart, cloud-based solutions that cater to the specific needs of the UAE market,' Alshamsi told has designed charging stations that are resilient to high temperatures, as well as software and apps that enhance the customer experience, he added.'By building our own software platforms and mobile apps, we also ensure digital sovereignty — keeping control of critical infrastructure within the UAE', Alshamsi Vcharge founder admitted that scaling EV solutions is both costly and complex but with the support from KFED, the company grew and landed key thousands of successful installations in its track record, the company is now eyeing to move beyond the country's borders. 'To enter markets like France and the EU, Vcharge plans to adjust its technology to comply with regional regulations, such as the Open Charge Point Protocol, ensuring interoperability with existing infrastructure,' Alshamsi said, adding that partnerships with local entities are also in the works to better meet the needs of the EU market.'Vcharge aims to establish strategic partnerships with European technology firms and research institutions to enhance our R&D capabilities,' the founder said. HyveGeo's Carbon Sinks Another UAE startup at VivaTech presented a biochar technology that transforms desert land into productive carbon sinks.A carbon sink refers to a reservoir that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — and HyveGeo's innovation does the job well.'Our biochar not only locks away carbon for over 1,000 years, but also restores degraded soils — improving food security and water retention in arid zones,' HyveGeo Founder and Director Abdulaziz bin Reda told creates microbe-enriched biochar tailored to arid regions, helping restore soil health and combat climate change while supporting global environmental goals through carbon implementing localised pilot programmes, the company has drastically reduced soil recovery time from five to seven years to only 30 days, while also boosting plant growth by 200%, as confirmed by third-party laboratories and advanced digital monitoring managed to overcome initial doubts and infrastructure challenges by conducting local trials, using modular technology, and receiving support from both UAE and international incubators, bin Reda company is now looking to deploy its systems in Europe. 'Our systems scale easily and are well-suited to Europe's decentralised agriculture,'bin Reda said.'We are working with EU regulators, carbon registries, and soil scientists to localise our solutions and ensure compliance.'HyveGeo seeks to 'pilot recovery projects, co-develop new formulations, and scale nature-based carbon removal across the region', bin Reda said. SENIAR's AI ChatbotUAE-based AI platform SENIAR also took its chatbot solutions to VivaTech, highlighting the deep local roots of its technology. 'SENIAR's AI platform is designed to empower digital sovereignty by offering a locally built, culturally adapted chatbot solution that aligns with the UAE's digital transformation agenda. Our innovation reduces reliance on foreign AI tools and supports secure, Arabic-native interactions, enhancing public and private sector efficiency,' said Abdullah Albadi, Founder of SENIAR the tech sphere, the company initially faced legal and trust issues but with the support of KFED, it managed to build its platform now trusted by government and enterprise clients, SENIAR is looking to scale up and expand its global footprint.'We are preparing to align with European standards such as GDPR, ensuring ethical AI usage, secure data practices, and multilingual support,' Albadi told plans to co-develop with EU partners and offer tech solutions that are rooted in the Gulf region.'Unlike generic global solutions, SENIAR is deeply rooted in the cultural, linguistic, and operational realities of the Gulf region,' he said. 'We also design our systems to perform reliably in environments with connectivity or infrastructure challenges, reflecting regional climate and usage conditions.'
The National
08-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Abu Dhabi start-ups exhibit tech-driven products at Tokyo global conference
Staff from Abu Dhabi-based start-ups have showcased their companies at the second Sushi Tech Tokyo conference held on Thursday. About 12 start-ups debuted at the premier of the three-day event, which is expected to host more than 600 companies in the Japanese capital. With more than 50,000 registered from around the world, businesses that work with a variety of industries, including architecture, food, health, finance, energy, sports, entertainment, space, web3 and generative AI, arrived at the event. Emirati businesses among them, they had the chance to network with influential figures in the sector and exhibit their proposals on a global platform. From Abu Dhabi, the Garcia group exhibited its solutions for smart and sustainable agriculture in the UAE, and the Rafiq App to facilitate maintenance and decoration services. Many of them came with the backing of the Khalifa Fund, a non-profit dedicated to supporting SMEs, and all with the goal of attracting more funding from global investors. HyveGeo, a bio and climate technology company that turns waste such as date tree remains into a biochar that can transform dry desert sand into arable soil in one month, instead of five years naturally, needs funding to scale. "The only way we can reach gigaton-scale removal and to green tens of thousands of hectares of desert for food security is to work with partners," said HyveGeo chief executive Abdulaziz Bin Redha. With his start-up still at seed stage, Mr Bein Redha is looking to the event to carry his green-tech to the next level. "We're developing patents and IP, and looking to license this globally," he said, seeking investment in the anti-desertification technology. Wafa AL Ghallabi, a PhD student at the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and co-founder of Nutri-tech company Nutrigenics Care & has raised more than Dh200,000 ($54,450) for her platform that uses large language models to process more curated food health. The chief executive of Abu Dhabi tech ecosystem Hub71 said it is not only UAE start-ups that benefit from the event. "So you have more than 10 start-ups represented here at the pavilion, demonstrating their technologies, exploring opportunities for them to access Japan," said Ahmad Alwan. "But on the flip side, you see a number of Abu Dhabi entities here also presenting their offerings to the Japanese ecosystem, identifying great opportunities that we can import back into Abu Dhabi. "It could be in the form of setting up, but it's really forming relationships, identifying, perhaps investment opportunities, corporate deal making opportunities and so forth," he added. "It's a two-way street." A wave of economic deals emerging from Abu Dhabi with global counterparts are helping the emirate and UAE nation to set up greater business exchange and investment. This is deliberate, according to the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, as its part of its strategy. "We're expanding our economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with a lot of countries around the world. We've already finalised, signed 27 and we're going ahead with signing further EPAs," said Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman of the department and The Abu Dhabi Global Market, at an event panel called Towards the Development of a Global Ecosystem: The Challenges of Abu Dhabi and Tokyo. "We are in discussion today with the UAE and Japan on an EPA, and hopefully before the end of the year that will be concluded. This will be a huge step towards our partnership," he said. "We've been a very close part of Japan and we will continue to do so we've and that that helps connectivity for entrepreneurs. "Our investments in Japan have more than doubled over the past five years, and our country attracted over 80 per cent of Japanese investments in the Middle East," he said Yuriko Koike, governor of Tokyo, was also on the panel and reminisced about her first visit to the UAE. "I visited Abu Dhabi at UAE in early 70s, can you imagine even before His Excellency was born," she said, garnering a reaction from the audience. "It was very tiny village, living in fishery and producing pearls. Yeah, I remember the old days. But what a big development done in the last, say, 20 years. It's another country. It's really a miracle to develop such a wonderful village and such an international, competitive country," she said. In a separate Tokyo event on the same day, called Business Connect, Mr Al Zaabi participated in the signing of a series of trade deals with Japanese companies. "Our investments in Japan have more than doubled over the past five years, and our country attracted over 80 per cent of Japanese investments in the Middle East," he said in his opening address. Mr Al Zaabi described UAE-Japan relations at the cusp of a new chapter, bolstered by the anticipated free-trade agreement expected to be finalised this year to increase trade and investment flow.
Gulf Today
04-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Technology is reshaping UAE's entrepreneurship landscape
Technology is playing a pivotal role in reshaping the entrepreneurship scene in the United Arab Emirates. Innovation-based startups are becoming a major driver of the national economy and a primary source of employment and sustainable solutions. This contributes to enhancing the country's global competitiveness among the most advanced economies in adopting technology. Through its advanced initiatives, the UAE continues to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem by empowering innovators and providing a supportive environment for the prosperity of tech startups. It was among the first countries in the region to foresee the potential of digital transformation in this vital sector, establishing its position as a regional hub for tech entrepreneurship, attracting high-quality investments, and accelerating the integration of technology in key sectors such as education, healthcare, financial services, and transportation. Emirati startups are emerging as key players in the technology sector, expanding their presence in specialized fields such as artificial intelligence, fintech, blockchain applications, robotics, and smart solutions for sustainable cities. These ventures have benefited from the integrated support ecosystem provided by the country, especially in climate technology sectors. The UAE offers companies access to competitive financing, advanced business incubators, and a sophisticated digital infrastructure, along with direct government support to accelerate the adoption of smart environmental solutions. Abdulaziz Bin Redha, Founder and CEO of HyveGeo, stated to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the company has attracted investments and research grants from leading institutions in the UAE, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. It has also generated revenue from selling its proprietary soil regeneration technologies locally and carbon credits globally through partnerships with major companies like Shopify. He pointed out that HyveGeo is developing high-quality biochar specifically designed to suit the characteristics of desert soil, enhanced with innovative biological compounds that can accelerate soil formation from five years to just one month, while being capable of storing carbon for more than a thousand years. He explained that this technology contributes to the reclamation of desert lands and the promotion of sustainable agriculture, benefiting from the innovative environment the UAE offers. He affirmed that the UAE, and Abu Dhabi in particular, represent fertile grounds for green innovation and entrepreneurship. International reports confirm that the UAE is steadily progressing toward strengthening its position as a regional and global hub for advanced technology, amid a significant expansion in digital investments, continuous government support for developing digital infrastructure, and flexible legislation that attracts talent and capital. According to Research and Markets report, the UAE digital transformation market size is estimated at $0.99 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $2.23 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 15.09% during the forecast period (2024-2029). The UAE Fintech Report 2024, said fintech continued to dominate venture capital (VC) funding in the UAE, accounting for 32% of total funding volume in H1. This underscores the sector's prominence in the domestic tech landscape and reflects the impact of government initiatives aimed at fostering innovation and investment. This vital sector contributes 8.7% of the country's GDP. UAE Clean Technology Market Size & Outlook, 2024-2030 by Grand View Research said the clean technology market in the UAE is expected to reach a projected revenue of US$ 9,445.8 million by 2030. A compound annual growth rate of 12.2% is expected of the UAE clean technology market from 2025 to 2030. The UAE continues to strengthen its support for startups and entrepreneurship through flexible government policies, advanced legislation, and world-class infrastructure, making it one of the most attractive destinations for investors and entrepreneurs globally. The UAE's economic vision, centred on diversification, sustainability, and innovation, plays a key role in fostering the startup sector. The country offers a competitive environment that attracts talent and drives growth in non-oil industries such as technology, finance, and renewable energy. With regulations encouraging foreign investment, including full ownership in many sectors, tax incentives, and specialised free zones, the UAE is a global hub for startups. Government initiatives like 'Operation 300bn' and startup incubators such as Hub71 further enhance its appeal. Within this framework, the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award emerges as a leading initiative that strengthens quality standards and competitiveness in the business sector. It recognises companies with outstanding performance and innovation, boosting their market position and encouraging expansion. WAM
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This startup wants to green the desert using microalgae and agricultural waste
It's hard to green the desert. Take China, or Africa's Sahel region, for example. Their 'Great Green Walls,' grand projects to beat back encroaching desert by planting trees, have required decades of slog, innumerable saplings and billions of dollars – and even then, critics have questioned how sustainable these solutions are. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is 80% desert. Only 0.7% of land is arable and it imports more than 90% of its food. Unsurprisingly, the oil-rich nation has proved fertile ground for companies aiming to change those statistics, as the UAE attempts to innovate its way toward food security. HyveGeo, with operations in Cambridge, England, and in Abu Dhabi, is the latest startup that thinks it has found a way to turn the desert green while turning a profit too. Using agricultural waste and algae, the company is creating a fertile mixture designed to boost plant growth for tree planting projects and food production, reviving desert and other non-arable land. And through growing algae, it says it can remove climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the process. 'Our model can solve multiple problems at the same time,' explained Dr. Samsurin Welch, HyveGeo chief operations officer and director of research. 'There's a carbon problem, there's a food security problem, and we can kill two birds with one stone.' The main ingredient for HyveGeo's product is biochar, a carbon-rich, charcoal-like material made by burning organic materials in a low-oxygen environment in a process known as pyrolysis. HyveGeo is sourcing its organic material from local date palm farms and other agricultural waste, and processing it at a pilot site in Abu Dhabi. To date, the site has produced 200 tons of biochar, diverting 800 tons of waste from landfill, said company founder Abdulaziz bin Redha. But those figures could soon be dwarfed by its first commercial facility, scheduled to open in mid-2026 and capable of processing 40,000 tons of biomass per year. HyveGeo is selling carbon credits against its biochar, allowing companies to offset their carbon footprint. When HyveGeo enters commercial production, it plans to sell its biochar to the agricultural sector, improving soil health while sequestering carbon for hundreds of years But the material has its limitations. 'Biochar itself is fantastic, but if you stick it in desert sand it doesn't do that much. Desert sand is desert sand; you need to add more to it,' explained Welch. To green the desert, HyveGeo has turned to microalgae. Algae absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and emit oxygen via photosynthesis, and have been doing so since before the first land plants ever existed. Cultivating microalgae for carbon drawdown has taken off in recent years. One company, Brilliant Planet, has proposed growing it on the fringes of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, then burying it. Others have trialled it as a biofuel. A German designer even proposed vitamin and mineral rich microalgae could be the next big thing in high-end gastronomy. HyveGeo first experimented with turning microalgae into biochar, before realizing it was 'like growing saffron and burning it,' according to Redha. Instead, the company now puts microalgae through what it calls a 'biorefinery concept,' extracting bioactive compounds. These compounds act as biostimulants or natural fertilizers, and can be added along with beneficial microbes to biochar in different recipes to promote the growth of specific crops. Another, more general-purpose formula, could be used for creating forests or grassland. 'Effectively, what we're doing is accelerating soil creation from something that could take five years down to just less than a month,' said bin Redha. According to the UN, at least 100 million hectares of healthy land is lost globally every year through land degradation. To put that figure in context, between 2015 and 2019, that area amounted to roughly double the size of Greenland. HyveGeo is testing its product on crops including tomatoes. Compared to a control environment, 'the plants are bushier, bigger,' said bin Redha, adding that the plants flowered and fruited at higher temperatures than tomatoes regularly permit, and grew outside in temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) – indicators that the growing medium helped combat climate stressors. HyveGeo's biochar soil solution is being trialed in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Food and Agricultural Safety Authority and Silal Innovation Oasis, both in the UAE. Bin Redha said HyveGeo's product could be used to grow staple crops in the UAE like cowpea, millet, wheat and rice, as well as leafy greens and fruit and vegetables. Dr. Marcella Fernandes de Souza, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, in Belgium, and an expert in algae biotechnology, who is not involved with HyveGeo, told CNN in an email that 'it seems they (HyveGeo) are covering all bases to make the soil arable. 'However,' she continued, 'soil dynamics are very complex and it can take some time for the soil to fully regenerate and regain its health, so I do not know what time frame would be realistic to fully recover this soil.' She also questioned the irrigation requirements for crop cultivation in desert regions. Producing enough microalgae to meet demand and make HyveGeo's model commercially viable are just two of many challenges the startup faces. 'It's really difficult,' bin Redha conceded. 'We have seen startups that are very well funded and have been running for 15 years and unfortunately gone into administration (growing microalgae) in the desert. 'It's about finding a way to grow at scale at a cost-effective way – and I think we're very, very close to cracking that.' One positive is the location of HyveGeo's operation. Dr. de Souza noted that algae farms 'need to focus on locations with large available land and good weather and sun irradiation' – three elements the UAE has in abundance. HyveGeo will announce its next round of venture capital funding this summer, and has entered into partnership with a state-owned company on its commercial biochar processing site. Long term, Redha says he wants the company to export its model worldwide through licensing deals in places with desert and degenerated land. HyveGeo's goal is to regenerate 10,000 hectares of land and remove 1 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2035. 'Climate is a long-term thing and climate is apolitical,' added Welch. 'We have a big challenge to solve, and if we can do our bit to solve the problem, that's a wonderful thing.'
CNN
30-03-2025
- Business
- CNN
This startup wants to green the desert using microalgae and agricultural waste
It's hard to green the desert. Take China, or Africa's Sahel region, for example. Their 'Great Green Walls,' grand projects to beat back encroaching desert by planting trees, have required decades of slog, innumerable saplings and billions of dollars – and even then, critics have questioned how sustainable these solutions are. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is 80% desert. Only 0.7% of land is arable and it imports more than 90% of its food. Unsurprisingly, the oil-rich nation has proved fertile ground for companies aiming to change those statistics, as the UAE attempts to innovate its way toward food security. HyveGeo, with operations in Cambridge, England, and in Abu Dhabi, is the latest startup that thinks it has found a way to turn the desert green while turning a profit too. Using agricultural waste and algae, the company is creating a fertile mixture designed to boost plant growth for tree planting projects and food production, reviving desert and other non-arable land. And through growing algae, it says it can remove climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the process. 'Our model can solve multiple problems at the same time,' explained Dr. Samsurin Welch, HyveGeo chief operations officer and director of research. 'There's a carbon problem, there's a food security problem, and we can kill two birds with one stone.' The main ingredient for HyveGeo's product is biochar, a carbon-rich, charcoal-like material made by burning organic materials in a low-oxygen environment in a process known as pyrolysis. HyveGeo is sourcing its organic material from local date palm farms and other agricultural waste, and processing it at a pilot site in Abu Dhabi. To date, the site has produced 200 tons of biochar, diverting 800 tons of waste from landfill, said company founder Abdulaziz bin Redha. But those figures could soon be dwarfed by its first commercial facility, scheduled to open in mid-2026 and capable of processing 40,000 tons of biomass per year. HyveGeo is selling carbon credits against its biochar, allowing companies to offset their carbon footprint. When HyveGeo enters commercial production, it plans to sell its biochar to the agricultural sector, improving soil health while sequestering carbon for hundreds of years But the material has its limitations. 'Biochar itself is fantastic, but if you stick it in desert sand it doesn't do that much. Desert sand is desert sand; you need to add more to it,' explained Welch. To green the desert, HyveGeo has turned to microalgae. Algae absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and emit oxygen via photosynthesis, and have been doing so since before the first land plants ever existed. Cultivating microalgae for carbon drawdown has taken off in recent years. One company, Brilliant Planet, has proposed growing it on the fringes of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, then burying it. Others have trialled it as a biofuel. A German designer even proposed vitamin and mineral rich microalgae could be the next big thing in high-end gastronomy. HyveGeo first experimented with turning microalgae into biochar, before realizing it was 'like growing saffron and burning it,' according to Redha. Instead, the company now puts microalgae through what it calls a 'biorefinery concept,' extracting bioactive compounds. These compounds act as biostimulants or natural fertilizers, and can be added along with beneficial microbes to biochar in different recipes to promote the growth of specific crops. Another, more general-purpose formula, could be used for creating forests or grassland. 'Effectively, what we're doing is accelerating soil creation from something that could take five years down to just less than a month,' said bin Redha. According to the UN, at least 100 million hectares of healthy land is lost globally every year through land degradation. To put that figure in context, between 2015 and 2019, that area amounted to roughly double the size of Greenland. HyveGeo is testing its product on crops including tomatoes. Compared to a control environment, 'the plants are bushier, bigger,' said bin Redha, adding that the plants flowered and fruited at higher temperatures than tomatoes regularly permit, and grew outside in temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) – indicators that the growing medium helped combat climate stressors. HyveGeo's biochar soil solution is being trialed in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Food and Agricultural Safety Authority and Silal Innovation Oasis, both in the UAE. Bin Redha said HyveGeo's product could be used to grow staple crops in the UAE like cowpea, millet, wheat and rice, as well as leafy greens and fruit and vegetables. Dr. Marcella Fernandes de Souza, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, in Belgium, and an expert in algae biotechnology, who is not involved with HyveGeo, told CNN in an email that 'it seems they (HyveGeo) are covering all bases to make the soil arable. 'However,' she continued, 'soil dynamics are very complex and it can take some time for the soil to fully regenerate and regain its health, so I do not know what time frame would be realistic to fully recover this soil.' She also questioned the irrigation requirements for crop cultivation in desert regions. Producing enough microalgae to meet demand and make HyveGeo's model commercially viable are just two of many challenges the startup faces. 'It's really difficult,' bin Redha conceded. 'We have seen startups that are very well funded and have been running for 15 years and unfortunately gone into administration (growing microalgae) in the desert. 'It's about finding a way to grow at scale at a cost-effective way – and I think we're very, very close to cracking that.' One positive is the location of HyveGeo's operation. Dr. de Souza noted that algae farms 'need to focus on locations with large available land and good weather and sun irradiation' – three elements the UAE has in abundance. HyveGeo will announce its next round of venture capital funding this summer, and has entered into partnership with a state-owned company on its commercial biochar processing site. Long term, Redha says he wants the company to export its model worldwide through licensing deals in places with desert and degenerated land. HyveGeo's goal is to regenerate 10,000 hectares of land and remove 1 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2035. 'Climate is a long-term thing and climate is apolitical,' added Welch. 'We have a big challenge to solve, and if we can do our bit to solve the problem, that's a wonderful thing.'
