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Natufia Labs Relocates to Saudi Arabia’s Sci-Tech University KAUST
Leading food-tech start-up Natufia Labs is basing itself at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The Estonia-founded company has developed the world’s first smart indoor kitchen garden — providing technology to harvest herbs, leafy greens and vegetables at home. In-line with its growth, the start-up was looking for a place to relocate their research and development (R&D) that combines talent and vision, and KAUST happens to be that place. KAUST is leading a USD $3.5 million investment, awarding USD $2 million to Natufia through their venture capital investment arm — the KAUST Innovation Fund (KIF) — as the start-up takes up residency at the KAUST Research and Technology Park (KRTP).
Natufia Labs has an established customer base in the US, predominantly in California, Florida, Texas, and Europe in Germany, France, UK and Italy. The Natufia Kitchen Garden is a household product that also answers many chefs’ needs, particularly regarding the difficulty of sourcing sustainable, high-quality products.
In regions such as Saudi Arabia, difficulty accessing local fresh produce and reducing waste in the food supply chain are increasingly pressing issues. Known as the ‘Nespresso for plants and herbs,’ Natufia Labs’ indoor garden was developed in response to these growing challenges of sourcing high-quality, nutrient-rich, fresh produce. Natufia Lab’ revolutionary hydroponic home kitchen technology gives homeowners year-round control over what they want to grow — regardless of climate or season — ultimately resulting in reduced food waste. The technology also aims to lower environmental impacts by reducing packaging, pollution, food miles and toxins.
“We are delighted to welcome our latest spin-in partner, Natufia Labs, to the Kingdom and support their expansion in the region – and the world,” said Kevin Cullen, vice president of KAUST Innovation and Economic Development. “Spinning-in talented, entrepreneurial, international start-ups is a priority for KAUST as we continue to enhance the growing innovation ecosystem in the Kingdom and establish KAUST as the Deep-Tech Heart of the Saudi Economy.”
The move is made possible by KAUST’s ability to invest and support diverse start-ups while offering new expertise and opportunities for further collaboration. Natufia is the latest in top talent that KAUST has attracted from around the world to energize the culture and community of start-ups in Saudi Arabia. The growing company also has a presence in both the U.S. and Europe. However, residing at KAUST will result in further R&D capabilities for innovation and create job opportunities supported by the University while showcasing Saudi Arabia as an obvious choice for business in the Middle East.
The innovative fridge-size appliance is easy to use, and plant growth is fully automated. It comes as a self-contained cabinet that provides the optimal combination of water, lighting and nutrients to grow plants, providing as much as two harvests per day. By supporting the new venture, KAUST will help launch the product to the mass market as an ‘affordable luxury,’ offering families an immediate holistic, forward-visioning solution to healthy living.
“The current COVID-19 crisis has shown how much we must rely on locally produced food. Thanks to the scientific partnership we are establishing with KAUST and the talents we will hire from the Kingdom, we will accelerate the development of our next models and service the increasing demand of our products,” said Gregory Lu, CEO and founder at Natufia. “From Estonian icy-snow winters to the arid climate of Saudi Arabia, sustainable access to food supply is a global issue, so it is more than natural that this technology is thriving from Saudi Arabia.”
Co-founded in 2014 by Gregory Lu, Natufia Labs goes beyond farm-to-fork, providing herbs and plants from kitchen-to-table. The company is a multi-award winner: Sustainable Design Award (Westedge, Los Angeles 2019), Innovation Award (NKBA, Las Vegas 2020), Innovation Award people’s choice (KBB, Birmingham 2020) and the Green Innovation of the year 2021 (Green Builder Media). Previous investors of the start-up include Butterfly Ventures (Finland), Techstars (USA) and the family-office Ginco Investments (UAE), who remain minority shareholders.
KAUST’s spinning in of Natufia Labs demonstrates its commitment to investing in novel deep tech start-ups that have the potential to immediately offer viable solutions to critical issues facing both Saudi Arabia and the greater world.
About King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Established in 2009, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a graduate research university devoted to finding solutions for some of the world’s most pressing scientific and technological challenges in the areas of food, water, energy and the environment. With 19 research areas related to these themes and state-of-the-art labs, KAUST has created a collaborative and interdisciplinary problem-solving environment, which has resulted in over 11,000 published papers to date. With over 100 different nationalities living, working and studying on campus, KAUST has brought together the best minds and ideas from around the world to advance science and technology through distinctive and collaborative research. KAUST is a catalyst for innovation, economic development and social prosperity in Saudi Arabia and the world. For additional information, visit: www.Kaust.edu.sa
About Natufia Labs
Natufia Labs is a leading multi-award-winning research lab specializing in hydroponic kitchen appliances. Natufia Kitchen Gardens owns a unique proprietary technology that enables growth of fresh plants and herbs all year-round, offering families and businesses an immediate holistic and sustainable solution to healthy living. Natufia Labs’ mission and vision are to minimize environmental impact by reducing food waste, packaging, pollution, food miles and bridging the gaps of food security and traceability awareness. For additional information, visit www.natufia.com