Three sustainability-focused technology start-ups recognized for their transformative innovations at Make it in the Emirates Forum
Three startups were revealed as winners of the first edition of the Make it in the Emirates Startup Competition. The Make it in the Emirates Start-up Competition, launched by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), brought together global technology start-ups that have the potential to drive the decarbonization and digitalization of industry to pitch their ideas to investors and industry players. Applicants included start-ups focused on fields such as renewable energy, transportation & mobility, AI & robotics, biopharma, thermal management, agriculture, consumer goods, advanced materials, manufacturing, construction and utilities, and graphene.
The first winner was VFlow Tech, a Singaporean start-up that provides innovative, reliable and large-scale storage solutions using flow batteries to unlock the full power of renewables. The second winner was UAE-based The Food Engine, a start-up that has developed an automated vertical aeroponic farming system that uses 90 percent less water than traditional agriculture. The third winner was Farmin, a spin-off of Khalifa University that uses satellite imagery super resolution along with AI to acquire critical and predictive insights that can provide highly accurate AI models to detect changes down to 4m2.
Twenty-four startups were shortlisted to participate in the competition by a panel of industry experts from a pool of almost 400 submissions, 60 percent of which were from overseas. First, second and third place winners received AED100,000, AED70,000 and AED50,000, respectively, to scale up and grow their businesses.
Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, said, “As a hub for innovation, science and technology, the UAE provides the ideal platform for technology start-ups to pilot new concepts and scale breakthrough solutions that address challenges such as climate change as well as support economic growth.”
Her Excellency continued: “Technology startups are an engine of economic growth. They create employment opportunities, introduce new products and services, drive innovation, and can efficiently solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. Creating an enabling environment for high-tech startups to thrive in the UAE is at the top of our agenda and a key pillar of our integrated industrial and advanced technology strategy.”
Start-ups were evaluated on the innovation they demonstrated, their disruptive potential, their scalability and sustainability, as well as their marketing potential, competitive advantage, and positive social impact.
All the competing start-ups were able to connect with industry partners, investors, and other stakeholders during the Make it in the Emirates Forum, where they also gained insights on commercializing and upscaling new technologies.
With the forum this year taking place in the run-up to COP28, there was a particular focus on sustainable industrial development in line with the UAE’s efforts to address climate change and deliver on the government’s initiative of labeling 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’.
