Noha Gad
The agricultural technology (agritech) market in Saudi Arabia is experiencing significant growth as the Kingdom invests heavily in modernizing the agricultural sector through cutting-edge technologies, in alignment with Vision 2030 goals of diversifying the national economy and ensuring food security.
The agritech startup ecosystem in Saudi Arabia is rapidly evolving, backed by government support, private investments, and innovative entrepreneurs. Additionally, the focus on sustainable and efficient agricultural practices aligns with global trends, positioning the Kingdom as a potential leader in agritech developments in the Middle East and beyond.
In this regard, Sharikat Mubasher had an interview with John Keppler, Executive Chairman of Iyris, one of the leading agritech startups in Saudi Arabia specializing in advancing commercial farming for low to mid-tech farmers in hot climates globally.
First, can you share more details about Iyris' solutions to advance commercial farming in warmer climates?
Iyris is a pioneering Saudi-founded Agritech company. We specialize in solutions which enable sustainable commercial farming in hot climates.
Our founders designed solutions to make it easier for farmers to grow fresh crops in difficult environments. Derya Baran, Mark Tester, and Ryan Lefers each had an academic and commercial focus on mitigating the impact of climate change to help feed the world’s growing population sustainably.
In our lead product, SecondSky, we created a range of greenhouse coverings that minimize the stress and impact of near-infrared heat radiation on plants while allowing the spectrum of light that plants need for photosynthesis. This is revolutionary in the agriculture industry. It delivers more resilient, productive, and profitable crops in regions where climate change and excessive heat make it difficult to grow fresh produce sustainably.
SecondSky’s polycarbonate, polyethylene, nets, and soon-to-be-launched shade screens are deployed to customers growing fresh produce in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and North Africa.
While the nanomaterials we invented to make these benefits possible are proprietary and complex, our business model is designed to deliver this innovation as simple as possible by making it a drop-in solution to existing manufacturing and distribution channels. That way, our customers can buy their roofs, nets, and screens using SecondSky as a one-for-one replacement for traditional plastic greenhouse roofing.
Utilized by growers on five continents and in 11 countries, SecondSky alone delivers a reduction in energy use by over 40% and water consumption of 30% at customer installations and we have seen crop yield increases and growing season extensions by as much as 35%.
Additionally, Iyris has developed plant genetics via a novel hybridization process that has the potential to breed resiliency to salinity, head, and drought processes across a broad range of crops, ensuring stress-resistant, dependable food production. The technology is already demonstrating exciting results with some of the world’s largest tomato growers in large-scale open-field trials.
How could Iyris’ climate-smart solutions enhance agricultural sustainability in Saudi Arabia?
Iyris’ climate-smart solutions play a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural sustainability in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Invented at KAUST in Saudi Arabia, our technologies have been trialed and tested to withstand the Saudi Arabian climate. The academic and scientific resources at KAUST and funding and incubation provided by the university and its seed and venture funding capabilities have been a critical part of our journey in developing products in Saudi, by Saudi, and for Saudi, and then exporting to the world.
It works well in the region because it was developed for the challenges of the region, which given the implications of climate change are having a negative impact globally.
Iyris’ SecondSky technology blocks heat radiation effectively, making it ideal for addressing the challenges of the extreme Arabian Gulf conditions and helping to increase food security in a country where 85% of its food is imported. In targeting low to mid-tech farmers, who represent more than 70% of growers worldwide, we provide an immediately deployable solution that impacts growers from the moment it is installed.
In the Saudi Arabian context, that means that farms that were unproductive can be brought back into the supply chain very quickly. For each kilo of produce that is grown locally, that is a kilo less that needs to be imported, or transported across the Kingdom. Every farmer who can grow both in a financially and ecologically sustainable way protects the future of their local communities and has the potential to reduce urban drift.
We have already executed pilot projects within the Kingdom where these benefits are starting to be seen and it’s a program that we think can be widely expanded.
Pure Harvest Smart Farms concluded a deal to acquire Iyris’ facility in the Kingdom. In your opinion, how could this step help Iyris to broaden its presence in Saudi Arabia?
The sale of our facility in Saudi Arabia to Pure Harvest Smart Farms reflected our strategic transition into a pure-play technology company. Known for its commitment to sustainable and climate-smart farming, Pure Harvest was an ideal partner to take on this facility.
The integration of our SecondSky heat-blocking technology at the facility aligns with Pure Harvest's dedication to sustainable agriculture and solidifies our technology as a valuable asset in Saudi Arabia's agricultural landscape.
This sale solidifies existing partnerships (e.g. Alajaweed Farm), presents opportunities for collaboration, and fosters the growth of innovative agricultural solutions in the region. The move has advanced sustainable agriculture and addressed climate-related challenges in Saudi Arabia, strengthening our presence in the Kingdom.
What about your recent $16 million Series A funding round?
In May 2024, we raised a $16 million Series A round. We are proud of this vote of confidence from the investment community, which comprised existing and new investors.
The fundraising was led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund (“EIF”), a San Francisco-based climate and sustainability fund supporting high-growth companies that drive a positive environmental impact, with further support from Global Ventures, Kanoo Ventures, Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF) and Bonaventure Capital.
The proceeds will help support increased sales coverage and delivery of Iyris’ strong international sales pipeline for our SecondSky greenhouse covers and nets. It will also fund the continued development of our innovative heat-blocking products and resilient plant genetics, which both have huge potential to improve yields further.
We are grateful for the investors who have recognized that Iyris technology solutions deliver tangible benefits to the farming community and understand its wider potential. Our investors understand there is a clear and focused strategy for delivering scalable AgriClimate technologies into our addressable market.
What are Iyris’ plans to expand beyond the Saudi market, notably in Egypt and East Africa? And how do you see the future of sustainable farming and agriculture in Africa?
We are actively expanding our footprint in North and East Africa, delivering adaptable and effective solutions to commercial farming. In March 2024, we signed a strategic MoU with Magrabi Agriculture, Egypt’s leading fresh produce provider, enabling Iyris’ cutting-edge technology to be deployed across Magrabi’s farming facilities and international operations.
This is one of several examples of successful partnerships and endorsement by key stakeholders in the region, as we continue to work closely to transform agriculture globally.
In your opinion, how do Iyris’ solutions contribute to tackling climate change?
With the global population estimated to grow to 10 billion by 2050, food security and farming in a sustainable manner (both environmentally and fiscally) is a worldwide challenge. By providing sustainable and efficient solutions that reduce water and energy consumption in farming practices by up to 90%, we contribute significantly to the collective effort to tackle climate change and promote a sustainable future.
We are proud to be helping feed the world in a climate-friendly manner.