Dubai: Agtech startup Desert Control is ready for the commercial rollout of liquid natural clay (LNC), which turns deserts into fertile land, after joining the alumni network of in5, an enabling platform for tech, media and design entrepreneurs in Dubai. Desert Control has opened a new office in Dubai and expanded to Abu Dhabi after successfully raising Dh85 million in its initial public offering (IPO) on Euronext Growth Oslo, 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 has a strategy to contribute to stopping and reversing soil degradation. By spraying LNC directly onto the ground, the technology allows topsoil, sandy soil and desert sand to retain water and nutrients. It has the potential to “re-green” arid land, sequester millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, create thousands of sustainable jobs and enhance food security.
“LNC can significantly accelerate the food security strategy of the UAE and other regional countries,” said Ole Kristian Sivertsen, Desert Control’s CEO. “Enormous amounts of water is required to maintain green landscapes and forests across the nation, but if we can shift 50 per cent 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.”
Dessert Control was named one of the World Economic Forum’s Top 100 Arab startups.
What is in5?
Established in 2013, in5 is an enabling platform for entrepreneurs and startups. There are more than 200 active startups on the incubation programme.
