- Flybox and Permia Sensing named as winners of the UAE's FoodTech Challenge, a global competition to identify and scale the world's most promising agri-tech solutions
- UK startups among four global winners honoured at one of the world's largest sustainability summits, selected from1,200+ entries spanning 113 countries
- Winners share a £1.5 million prize and enter the UAE's thriving innovation ecosystem, enabling them to develop and scale their ventures from the UAE to the world
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Flybox and Permia Sensing, London-based startups using insects to turn food waste into protein and fertilizer, and bioacoustic sensors and AI to detect pest infestations in palm trees, have been named as winners of the UAE's FoodTech Challenge during a live finale at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week - one of the world's largest sustainability gatherings. The agri-tech startups were selected from an initial pool of 1,215 submissions spanning 113 countries.
Now in its third edition, the UAE's FoodTech Challenge identifies and scales the world's most promising agri-tech solutions that boost food production and reduce food loss and waste in arid and climate-stressed environments. Now in its third edition, the competition is organized by the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and Tamkeen, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, ne'ma (The UAE's National Food Loss and Waste Initiative) - and Silal, a leading UAE agri-food company. Previous UK winners of the FoodTech Challenge have gone on to establish multi-million-pound joint ventures in the UAE and launch successful pilots across the wider region.
Flybox, founded in 2021 by insect farming and waste-management specialists, and Permia Sensing, founded in 2019 by experts in robotics and precision agriculture, will share a £1.5 million prize with two other winning teams, and receive further in-kind support to develop and scale their food security solutions through the UAE's world-class innovation ecosystem, including technical and research support, pilot opportunities, market access, and incubation and acceleration services.
About Flybox:
- Challenge: Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, while food waste management is costly and energy-intensive.
- Mission: Transform food waste into high-demand protein and fertiliser in a way that is low-cost, practical and requires minimal expertise.
- Innovative solution: Off-grid, modular units housed in shipping containers, using black soldier fly larvae to convert agricultural byproducts into high-quality protein and fertiliser.
- Future plans: Build on current operations in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria to launch the first UAE-based site, and work with local waste management partners in the UAE to deploy at scale.
About Permia Sensing:
- Challenge: The highly invasive red palm weevil is responsible for an estimated £1.5 billion in crop loss globally every year, while other stress factors such as dehydration impact plant yields and increase waste and loss.
- Mission: Improve yields and climate resilience in palm agriculture by enabling farmers to detect issues earlier.
- Innovative solution: Combine AI, drone and satellite imaging, and bio-acoustic sensors to monitor tree stress and early signs of disease and offer data-driven insights.
- Future plans: Expand monitoring across key palm-growing regions, scaling deployments in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa while creating 21st century agriculture jobs.
Larry Kotch, Founder and CEO of Flybox, commented on the win: "I feel immense gratitude and determination after the win, but the other finalist teams all deserve immense credit as well - given their successes, I'm sure the final margin was incredibly small."
"We plan to use the prize money to support two major initiatives: first, the establishment of an R&D centre for insect-waste management in partnership with the University of Sharjah in the UAE; and second, the development of a large-scale insect composting site in Kenya. We are also exploring how to establish a permanent base in the Middle East, so we can build on the incredible support and connections provided by the FoodTech Challenge and their partners."
Efrem de Paiva, Founder and CEO of Permia Sensing, commented on the win: "Winning the UAE FoodTech Challenge feels great, but it feels more like a responsibility than a trophy. Winning shows that the problem we are tackling truly matters, and that people trust us to help address it."
"The prize money will help us accelerate implementation: more field trials, faster product iteration, and stronger on-the-ground support to make sure insights turn into action. And access to the UAE's agri-tech innovation ecosystem is even more valuable. It means that we'll have the opportunity to work closely with growers, researchers, and policymakers, integrating with their existing programmes and building the partnerships that allow us to scale sustainably."
Flybox and Permia Sensing were named winners of the UAE FoodTech Challenge alongside global startups Akorn Technology and HyveGeo, whose operations span Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East. They follow in the footsteps of previous FoodTech Challenge winners, who have gone on to raise more than £37 million in follow on funding, launch more than 50 pilot projects, and successfully localise their technologies for the UAE, before scaling across similar environments.
To learn more about the FoodTech Challenge and this year's winners, visit: www.foodtechchallenge.com
About the UAE FoodTech Challenge (FTC)
The UAE FoodTech Challenge (FTC) is a global competition that identifies and supports leading early-stage, tech-driven solutions poised to transform food systems in arid, hot, and increasingly challenging environments. The competition is delivered by the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court of the UAE and Tamkeen in partnership with ne'ma, the UAE's Food Loss and Waste Initiative; Silal, the UAE's leading agri-tech company; Gates Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, and other key partners.
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