Wa'ed Ventures Backs KAUST Spinout Terraxy to Scale Desert Greening Technology

Summary

Terraxy, a startup spun out of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), has secured $3 million in a Seed-2 funding round led by Wa’ed Ventures, the venture capital arm of Aramco, with participation from KAUST. This funding will support the scaling of Terraxy's proprietary soil enhancer, Carbosoil, from pilot to industrial production and enable the establishment of a 30,000-square-meter commercial facility in Al Zulfi, Saudi Arabia. Carbosoil improves plant growth and yield by up to 70% while enhancing water and nutrient retention in sandy soils for landscaping and carbon capture. Why it matters: This investment highlights Saudi Arabia's strategy to commercialize deep-tech research from local institutions to achieve national sustainability, food security, and desert greening objectives.