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.
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, based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializes in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for arid environments. The company focuses on developing innovative technologies that enable greenhouse and hydroponic farms to cultivate high-quality produce while minimizing water and energy consumption. This approach not only enhances food production efficiency but also promotes sustainability and cost savings for farmers. In addition to its proprietary technologies, Red Sea Farms offers consultancy services, providing expert technical advice on the design and project management of saltwater-based and desert agricultural systems. Through its diverse range of products and services, the company aims to address the challenges of agriculture in water-scarce regions.
Red Sea Farms
Series A in 2021
Red Sea Farms, based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializes in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for arid environments. The company focuses on developing innovative technologies that enable greenhouse and hydroponic farms to cultivate high-quality produce while minimizing water and energy consumption. This approach not only enhances food production efficiency but also promotes sustainability and cost savings for farmers. In addition to its proprietary technologies, Red Sea Farms offers consultancy services, providing expert technical advice on the design and project management of saltwater-based and desert agricultural systems. Through its diverse range of products and services, the company aims to address the challenges of agriculture in water-scarce regions.
Red Sea Farms
Seed Round in 2020
Red Sea Farms, based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializes in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for arid environments. The company focuses on developing innovative technologies that enable greenhouse and hydroponic farms to cultivate high-quality produce while minimizing water and energy consumption. This approach not only enhances food production efficiency but also promotes sustainability and cost savings for farmers. In addition to its proprietary technologies, Red Sea Farms offers consultancy services, providing expert technical advice on the design and project management of saltwater-based and desert agricultural systems. Through its diverse range of products and services, the company aims to address the challenges of agriculture in water-scarce regions.
Iyris
Seed Round in 2019
Iyris Advanced Desert Greenhouses specializes in agriculture glazing, focusing on enhancing crop production in the challenging climates of the Middle East. The company collaborates with leading glass manufacturers to offer ultra-clear glazing equipped with advanced anti-reflective and light diffusive coatings. Additionally, Iyris develops agroclimatic technologies that integrate climate control, plant science, and intelligent control systems. This approach aims to create sustainable food production in water-scarce regions, effectively reducing both the carbon and water footprints of local farming. By designing innovative agricultural technologies tailored for harsh environments, Iyris enables farmers to grow food with fewer resources, ultimately lowering costs and improving crop yields.
Red Sea Farms
Seed Round in 2019
Red Sea Farms, based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializes in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for arid environments. The company focuses on developing innovative technologies that enable greenhouse and hydroponic farms to cultivate high-quality produce while minimizing water and energy consumption. This approach not only enhances food production efficiency but also promotes sustainability and cost savings for farmers. In addition to its proprietary technologies, Red Sea Farms offers consultancy services, providing expert technical advice on the design and project management of saltwater-based and desert agricultural systems. Through its diverse range of products and services, the company aims to address the challenges of agriculture in water-scarce regions.
Iyris
Pre Seed Round in 2018
Iyris Advanced Desert Greenhouses specializes in agriculture glazing, focusing on enhancing crop production in the challenging climates of the Middle East. The company collaborates with leading glass manufacturers to offer ultra-clear glazing equipped with advanced anti-reflective and light diffusive coatings. Additionally, Iyris develops agroclimatic technologies that integrate climate control, plant science, and intelligent control systems. This approach aims to create sustainable food production in water-scarce regions, effectively reducing both the carbon and water footprints of local farming. By designing innovative agricultural technologies tailored for harsh environments, Iyris enables farmers to grow food with fewer resources, ultimately lowering costs and improving crop yields.
Red Sea Farms
Pre Seed Round in 2017
Red Sea Farms, based in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, specializes in sustainable agriculture solutions tailored for arid environments. The company focuses on developing innovative technologies that enable greenhouse and hydroponic farms to cultivate high-quality produce while minimizing water and energy consumption. This approach not only enhances food production efficiency but also promotes sustainability and cost savings for farmers. In addition to its proprietary technologies, Red Sea Farms offers consultancy services, providing expert technical advice on the design and project management of saltwater-based and desert agricultural systems. Through its diverse range of products and services, the company aims to address the challenges of agriculture in water-scarce regions.
Medad Technologies
Seed Round in 2014
Medad Technologies Pte Ltd, established in Singapore in 2012, focuses on applying adsorption desalination (AD) technology for various water treatment solutions, including desalination, reclamation of problematic waters, and achieving zero liquid discharge (ZLD). The company holds exclusive licenses for key patents from the National University of Singapore and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, allowing it to advance its AD technology while implementing its market strategy. Medad has successfully completed its first commercial AD desalination plant and was commissioned to build the world’s first AD-Crystallizer plant, which enhances the existing AD system to achieve ZLD. The company’s innovative approach utilizes a hybrid process combining multiple-effect distillation and adsorption to effectively convert low-grade waste heat into high-purity water, thereby transforming rejected water from saline sources into safe 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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