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Red Sea Farms is a technology company.
Red Sea Farms develops innovative agricultural technology, deploying saltwater-cooled greenhouses to cultivate fresh produce in arid, water-scarce environments. Their proprietary system significantly reduces freshwater demand by utilizing saline water for cooling and humidity control, enabling sustainable food production where conventional farming is challenging. This approach facilitates local, year-round cultivation of high-quality vegetables.
Founded in 2018 by academic researchers Ryan Lefers, Mark Tester, and Derya Baran, their insight stemmed from the urgent need for food and water security in extreme climates. Emerging from pioneering research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the founders commercialized sustainable agriculture advancements to enhance local food resilience.
Red Sea Farms primarily serves communities and destinations in arid regions, providing access to fresh, sustainably grown produce. The company envisions transforming global food systems by empowering areas with limited freshwater resources to achieve food self-sufficiency, promoting local economic development through efficient agricultural practices.
Red Sea Farms has raised $17.9M across 3 funding rounds.
Red Sea Farms has raised $17.9M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Red Sea Farms has raised $17.9M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Red Sea Farms's investors include AppHarvest, Bonaventure Capital, Global Ventures, Kevin Cullen, Abdulmohsen Almajnouni.
Red Sea Farms is an AgTech company specializing in hot-climate agriculture platforms that enable crop growth in arid, harsh environments using up to 90% less freshwater and energy than traditional methods.[1][2][3] It builds proprietary controlled environment agriculture technologies, including saltwater evaporative cooling, AI-enabled monitoring, solar power integration, heat-blocking nano-materials for greenhouse roofs, and resilient plant varieties like salt-tolerant tomato rootstocks.[1][3][5] The company serves farmers and growers in water-scarce regions such as the Middle East, UAE, Southern US, Southern Europe, and Mexico, solving the problem of food insecurity amid rising global temperatures and water scarcity by producing high-quality vine crops, berries, leafy greens, herbs, fruits, and vegetables—saving up to 300L of water per kg of produce.[1][2][4] Growth momentum includes a 2018 spin-out from KAUST, expansions to the US and UAE, partnerships with Red Sea Global and AppHarvest, and a showcase greenhouse in the UAE, with plans for scaling to 100 hectares.[2][3][4]
Red Sea Farms was founded in 2018 as a spin-out from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) by Ryan Lefers (CEO with expertise in agriculture and entrepreneurship) and Mark Tester (plant scientist specializing in salt-tolerant crops), later joined by a third co-founder blending engineering skills.[2][3][5] The idea emerged from KAUST research breaking the food-water-energy nexus, developing greenhouses that use saltwater, solar power, and advanced controls to grow crops in desert conditions without heavy reliance on freshwater or energy-intensive cooling.[3][6] Early traction came from KAUST's $4M funding, R&D facilities, and a 2000 sqm prototype greenhouse, leading to commercialization after trials proving water and energy savings; pivotal moments include 2021 investments from Wa’ed Ventures (Saudi Aramco), AppHarvest, Bonaventure Capital, and others, plus US expansion pilots at the University of Arizona.[2][3] By 2022, partnerships like with Red Sea Global for an indoor farm at The Red Sea Project solidified its path.[4]
Red Sea Farms stands out through its integrated hot-climate AgriClimate platform, purpose-built for arid environments rather than adapting cold-climate tech:
Red Sea Farms rides the climate-resilient AgTech wave, addressing global food insecurity for a growing population in hotter, drier conditions where traditional farming fails—exacerbated by record temperatures and water scarcity.[1][2] Timing is ideal amid net-zero transitions, with demand surging in arid hotspots (Middle East, US Southwest, Mexico) as desalination and energy costs rise; market forces like HSBC green loans and investor interest from Aramco/Wa’ed signal scalable sustainability finance.[1][2] It influences the ecosystem by empowering local farmers via tech licensing, fostering job/economic growth in deserts, and pioneering saltwater agriculture—paving for hybrids like paired aquaculture pilots, while KAUST spin-outs accelerate lab-to-farm innovation.[3][4]
Red Sea Farms (noted rebranding to iyris in some updates) is poised for global scaling as climate pressures intensify, with US pilots, UAE expansions, and 100-hectare ambitions driving revenue from tech sales and own produce.[2][4][7] Trends like AI-optimized farming, saltwater crops, and solar integration will propel it, especially with partnerships amplifying reach in water-stressed markets. Its influence may evolve into ecosystem leader, licensing platforms to transform subsistence farming and inspire AgTech for net-zero food systems—reinforcing its mission to feed the world sustainably in harsher climates.[1][5]
Red Sea Farms has raised $17.9M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Series A Extension in August 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2021 | $6.0M Series A Extension | AppHarvest, Bonaventure Capital | |
| Jun 1, 2021 | $10.0M Series A | Global Ventures | |
| May 15, 2019 | $1.9M Other Equity | Kevin Cullen, Abdulmohsen Almajnouni |