The UAE has announced the 10 finalists of the 3rd edition of the FoodTech Challenge (FTC) 3.0. The flagship competition seeks to identify and scale the world’s most promising agri-food technology solutions that are poised to transform food systems in arid, hot, and increasingly challenging environments.
Revealed at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2025 Annual Meeting in New York during the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the finalists were chosen for their breakthrough, technology-driven solutions from a shortlisted pool of 42 semifinalists. In total, there were 1,215 submissions from 113 countries. The finalists will now participate in a tailored preparatory program ahead of the competition’s finale later this year.
Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Chair of the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge, said: “In the UAE, we’ve transformed our own challenges of arid land and water scarcity into strengths, creating a springboard for solutions that can help communities in climate-vulnerable regions everywhere. This year’s finalists truly reflect the creativity, passion, and determination the world needs to address food security. I’m proud to welcome them to the UAE, where together we can refine ideas and grow technologies with the power to transform the future of food for all.”
Rima Al Mokarrab, Chair of Tamkeen and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge, said: “The FoodTech Challenge is more than a competition - it is a platform that connects innovators with the partners, expertise, and investment needed to take ideas from concept to market. These finalists are tackling food system challenges from every angle, and by fostering collaboration between start-ups, industry leaders, and investors, we can fast-track their growth to deliver tangible, scalable impact.”
The UAE faces agricultural challenges that many countries share, and more will encounter, making it an ideal testbed for pioneering solutions and measuring their effectiveness. It has become a global launchpad for innovations that advance food production in arid, resource-scarce regions.
The FoodTech Challenge directly supports the UAE’s food security ambitions by attracting breakthrough, technology-driven solutions that can be refined in the UAE and scaled to address food security challenges worldwide.
Organised by the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and Tamkeen, and delivered in partnership with the Gates Foundation, ne’ma, the UAE’s Food Loss and Waste Initiative, and Silal, a leading UAE agri-food company, the third iteration of FTC focuses on two primary areas: increasing food production and reducing food loss and waste.
The 10 finalist teams presented a diverse range of projects centred on these two focus areas, each showcasing innovative technologies with the potential to drive transformative impact on food systems in the UAE, the Global South and beyond.
The winners of the third FoodTech Challenge are: Akorn Technology (USA) – A natural coating for produce - keeping fruits and vegetables fresher for longer; Ecorich Solutions (Kenya) – From waste to wealth - affordable fertilizer that can be produced anywhere within 24 hours; Flybox (UK) – Turning food waste into sustainable protein, one modular insect farm at a time; Homeport (UAE) – Nanobubbles to supercharge crops and livestock, transforming arid farmlands; HungreeApp (USA) – An instant link to sharing surplus food with your community; HyveGeo (UAE) – Biochar that restores and sustains in a circular system; Jabu (France) – AI that fights food waste, saving meals, money, and resources; P-Vita (Egypt) – Extracting hidden nutrients from palm waste to power a healthier future; Seadling (Malaysia) – Reimagining seaweed as a powerful, planet-friendly food and crop stimulant, and Permia Sensing (UK) –A tree-monitoring solution that detects problems early to protect palm yields.
Ahead of the finals, the teams will take part in partner-led workshops and tailored mentorship sessions designed to connect them with key implementation, investment, and market-entry partners in the UAE and the Global South, ensuring their solutions are positioned for maximum impact and scalability.
The final four winners will be selected by a panel of eight judges representing diverse sectors, including Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Chair of the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court of the UAE; Rima Al Mokarrab, Chair of Tamkeen; His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Founder and CEO of KBW Ventures; Khuloud Hassan Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer at Emirates Foundation; a Gates Foundation representative; Dr. Shamal Mohammed, CEO of Innovation Oasis at Silal; Dr Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director at CGIAR; and Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA.
Past winners from the previous two editions have collectively raised US$48 million in follow-on funding, launched joint ventures, tested their solutions in over 50 pilot projects across the UAE, and expanded into international markets.
