Agri-tech start-up Desert Control is set to launch commercial rollout of liquid natural clay (LNC) – an innovation that turns deserts into fertile land – after graduating from In5, an enabling platform for tech, media and design entrepreneurs in Dubai.
The company is the latest to leave the business incubator and pursue its next phase of growth.
Desert Control has opened a new office in Dubai and expanded to Abu Dhabi after successfully raising approximately AED85 million in its initial public offering (IPO) on Euronext Growth Oslo, a multilateral trading facility operated by the Oslo Stock Exchange.
With 12 million hectares of fertile land – an area more than twice the size of Denmark – lost to desertification every year, Desert Control said it aims to contribute to stopping and reversing soil degradation.
By spraying LNC directly onto the ground, the company said its innovative technology allows topsoil, sandy soil and desert sand to retain water and nutrients. It has the potential to regreen arid land, sequester millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, create thousands of sustainable jobs and enhance food security.
It also comes as water scarcity concern has never been higher, with agriculture and food production estimated to consume more than 70 percent of all available freshwater globally.
Atle Idland, managing director at Desert Control Middle East, said: “In5 has been a great arena for the UAE and Dubai establishment of Desert Control activities, and we are grateful for the continuous support we have received throughout our growth stage. We are now moving into a fast scale-up phase where we are recruiting heavily and need more space. However, we will remain a proud In5 alumni and will always think back to our great days at In5.”
Ole Kristian Sivertsen, Desert Control CEO, added: “LNC can significantly accelerate the food security strategy of the UAE and other regional countries. Enormous amounts of water are required to maintain green landscapes and forests across the nation, but if we can shift 50 percent of this water to agriculture and food production, the results will be amazing.
“Further, by transforming desert into arable land that sequesters carbon and promotes biodiversity, we address water scarcity, food security, and climate action at the same time.”
Desert Control joined In5 in 2018 and was subsequently named one of the World Economic Forum’s Top 100 Arab start-ups and has now become the latest member of the in5 alumni network.
Established in 2013, In5 is an enabling platform for entrepreneurs and start-ups. There are more than 200 active start-ups on the incubation programme.
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