Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), ADIO Catalyst and Wageningen University and Research, has completed  the first edition of its ‘Level Up’ project that enables SMEs and startups to scale and reach new heights.

The first version of the programme saw 10 shortlisted agritech companies go through 5-weeks of training and mentorship, before a final pitching day where Circa BioTech, a food waste management solution, and CODE Three Fourteen Technologies, a company that helps increase agricultural yield, were established as the winning companies.

Alia Al Mazrouei, Advisor to the Chairman of the Department of Economic Development, stated: "We congratulate Circa BioTech and CODE Three Fourteen Technologies for coming out at the top for this edition of Level-Up. The programme was developed to provide a complete ecosystem to help SMEs and startups seize new opportunities and continue to excel post-pandemic.

"Covid-19 has changed how the world works and while most of these companies recognise the urgency of reinventing their business models to remain competitive and propel growth, they need assistance in navigating this uncharted territory. Level Up brings seamless access to new markets, technologies, and expertise to entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs - who are at the very heart of Abu Dhabi’s economy."

The initiative is designed to operate in consecutive stages, each lasting from 2 to 4.5 months according to specialised sectors. The format includes two months of learning and mentorship, a forum and demo day, and two meetup events. Apart from agriculture technology, other sectors to be covered in upcoming editions include finance, ICT, health services, biopharma, tourism and real estate.

Through the emergence of innovative and modern solutions, this part of the programme will play a crucial role in increasing productivity, protecting ecosystems, enhancing local production, reducing waste in the agriculture sector, improving nutrition, and creating potential partnerships to diversify food sources in the country.