Top 10 Most Influential Regional Green & ClimateTech Startups

With the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) currently underway in Azerbaijan, we’ve taken the opportunity to look over some of the most groundbreaking climate-tech businesses in the MENA region. We have rounded up a list of 10 startups that are leading change in the region and leaving a positive impact on the environment…

44.01 (Oman) 

Founded in 2020, 44.01 uses a unique mineralization process to turn CO2 into rock, providing a cost-effective method for carbon removal. The company is backed by major investors like Equinor Ventures and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund.

CarbonSifr (UAE)

CarbonSifr’s AI-powered platform helps businesses track and reduce their carbon footprints while promoting climate action through customer engagement. It has become the preferred partner of Emirates Nature-WWF in the UAE.

Clean City (Morocco) 

This Marrakesh-based startup empowers citizens to report urban issues like uncollected trash and potholes using geo-tagged images. It encourages civic participation and organises clean-up campaigns, incentivizing users with rewards like coffee and movie tickets.

EcoHub (UAE)

EcoHub transforms waste materials into urban street furniture and landscape products using polymer-sand technology. Their sustainable designs help improve public spaces while reducing environmental impact.

Schaduf (Egypt) 

Schaduf combines aquaponics and rooftop farming to bring green spaces to urban areas. The startup has created over 9,600 square metres of green walls, installed more than 400 rooftop farms, and expanded its reach to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the UK.

AquaNile (Egypt)

AquaNile provides cost-effective water purification solutions to combat water scarcity in Egypt and across the MENA region. Its technology helps reduce reliance on groundwater, ensuring a sustainable water supply for rural and urban areas.

FortyGuard (UAE)

FortyGuard uses AI to cool urban areas by tracking and analysing outdoor temperatures. Its platform helps urban planners and developers make informed decisions that reduce heat-related risks and promote sustainable city designs.

Sunlight Financial LLC (UAE)

Sunlight Financial, a climate-tech unicorn, provides solar installers with a proprietary fintech platform to offer loans to homeowners for solar power installations. This innovative model leverages existing infrastructure to expand access to clean energy.

Red Sea Farms (Saudi Arabia) 

Red Sea Farms uses innovative technology to grow crops in salty water, addressing water scarcity in arid regions. Their work is helping to transform agriculture in the Middle East, making food production both sustainable and resilient to climate change.

Geocycle (Egypt)

As part of the global Geocycle network, the organisation provides regional environmentally compliant waste management solutions including sorting stations and co-processing facilities.