UAE announces a $2 million global FoodTech challenge prize to attract cutting-edge agri-tech solutions. The FoodTech Challenge is organised by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Tamkeen, an Abu Dhabi entity that partners with leading local and international institutions to deliver projects that enrich the UAE’s social, cultural and educational landscape.

The competition is targeted at early-stage startups, ranging from international university-based research teams to individual entrepreneurs and small firms, the competition invites innovations related to two critical tracks: ‘food production’ to address the availability and abundance of food and explore next gen, nutrient rich alternatives, and ‘food loss and waste’ to ensure sustainability across the food supply chain and the planet more broadly.

The winners will be offered an opportunity to scale-up their business model within the UAE, supported with R&D, start-up acceleration, commercial incentives and mentorship to take winning concepts from lab-to-market. Applications are being encouraged from around the world, with a priority on agri-tech concentrated nations.

For this edition of the competition, they are joined by ASPIRE, the program management pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), which oversees technology related R&D funding for Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE. Each track is also being supported by a local champion, with ADQ and Silal being the track partners for increasing food production, and Emirates Foundation the track partner for reducing food loss and waste.