Viridia Tech has been named the overall winner of the 2024 Mega Green Accelerator, following an exciting industry Demo Day held in Riyadh where eight startups from across the Middle East and North Africa region showcased innovative solutions addressing food security, clean energy transitions, and the circular economy.
The Mega Green Accelerator, launched in 2023 by PepsiCo, SABIC, AstroLabs, and eleven other strategic partners, received over 350 submissions. The eight selected startups participated in a six-month program of trainings and workshops, mentorship from business leaders, and opportunities to network, scale their businesses, and gain access to investors.
“PepsiCo has been a key partner in the region for 70 years, and we remain committed to supporting progress and empowering the next generation. Through MENA Innovates, we are focused on driving meaningful change by backing startups and advancing broader initiatives that promote innovation across the region. We look forward to seeing how the startups will contribute to a more sustainable future,” said Wael Ismail, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, PepsiCo AMESA (Africa, Middle East, and South Asia).
At the Demo Day, Egypt-based Viridia Tech was awarded the $100,000 grand prize for their artificial intelligence and data analytics platform, which provides real-time insights and recommendations to help farmers grow crops more efficiently and sustainably and forecast yields accurately. Saudi Arabia-based Mirai Solar, which produces an innovative solar-powered shade system, received the $30,000 second place prize.
“The success of this year’s Mega Green Accelerator program has created a blueprint for accelerating the growth of the sustainability sector in the region, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Our collaboration with PepsiCo, SABIC and other strategic partners has unlocked unparalleled access to large-scale industry leaders for this cohort’s participants – plugging them directly into the sustainability value chain to unlock opportunities for rapidly scaling with the right support at the right time. We’re genuinely excited to see how Viridia Tech, as well as the other innovators in the program, will step up to address critical sustainability gaps and play a key role in pushing the region towards a greener, more sustainable future,” said Roland Daher, Chief Executive Officer, AstroLabs.
The Mega Green Accelerator is part of PepsiCo’s MENA Innovates programs, which champion entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability through a series of events and initiatives that celebrate groundbreaking ideas and inspire future leaders.
List of startups participating in the 2024 edition
| UAE | Mrüna, inspired by the Arabic word for resilience, is a consulting and distribution company dedicated to developing innovative urban solutions. Their flagship product, BiomWeb, is a nature-based solution that utilizes emerging technologies to treat and manage wastewater for reuse. |
| The Surpluss is a US-patented award-winning climate technology start up that helps SMEs reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, profitably, through resource sharing through a digital sustainability exchange. | |
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Saudi Arabia |
Mirai Solar expands the utilization of solar energy beyond conventional applications via its proprietary Mirai Screen – a lightweight and foldable electricity generating shade screen. Mirai’s solutions dramatically improve the energy use efficiency of food production and smart buildings for a sustainable future. |
| AHYA TECHNOLOGIES is a climate software and AI start-up building a unified platform for scaling climate action across the Middle East North Africa & Pakistan. Ahya has two core products in AhyaOS – AI powered greenhouse gas emissions operating system and Tawazun – omni-channel voluntary carbon marketplace. | |
| Lebanon | YY ReGen is an innovator in agritech and renewable energy committed to transforming the way customers’ ventures are powered, watered, and grown. They focus on a more affordable, less pollutive, and regenerative approach to create a sustainable future. |
| Egypt | Viridia Tech offers a platform enabling crop analytics at scale for industrial agricultural companies offering unprecedented monitoring capabilities and refined recommendations resulting in double digit improvements in yield, unit economics and sustainability metrics. |
| P-VITA is a pioneer biotechnology hub that specializes in producing natural raw materials for the cosmetics, and food & beverage industries through innovative and patented processes with utilizing AI and IoT technologies to reduce carbon footprint through automated processes. | |
| Tunisia | Kumulus a water tech startup that turns air into fresh drinking water through innovative AWG machines. Their machines make drinking water more accessible, sustainable, and economical for hotels and businesses across MENA and southern European regions. |
