Innovative companies from Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia will join PepsiCo’s accelerator program that aims to identify and scale up groundbreaking sustainable agricultural practices.
Two start-ups from Lebanon have made it to the shortlist – Dooda Solutions, a woman-led earthworm farm and YY ReGen, which provides innovative solutions in regenerative farming
Beirut, Lebanon – 12 June 2023 – Today, PepsiCo announced that Dooda Solutions and YY ReGen, start-ups from Lebanon, have been chosen to participate in the second cohort of its Greenhouse Accelerator Program: MENA Sustainability Edition, focused on sustainable agriculture. Following a rigorous multi-stage selection process, this year’s cohort brought forward innovative ideas across five key criteria: alignment to PepsiCo’s sustainability strategy – PepsiCo Positive (pep+) – strategic synergy with PepsiCo, scalability, relevance to MENA, and breakthrough potential.
Sustainable agriculture takes on a special meaning in Lebanon, given its vast arable land, moderate climate, and freshwater resources. It presents a unique opportunity to develop the local economy, create employment opportunities, and enhance the country’s self-sufficiency during a period of significant economic and political flux. PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Accelerator Program intends to unlock innovative and disruptive agricultural solutions in partnership with purpose-driven start-ups from the region that share PepsiCo’s vision for a more sustainable agriculture and water management system.
The six shortlisted companies, Dooda Solutions, YY ReGen, NoorNation, RoboCare, SmartWTI, and Smart Green were selected from over 180 applications across 18 countries. Each of the companies bring a unique level of expertise and innovative solution to the table from all aspects of the agriculture value chain from water preservation to soil cultivation.
Dooda Solutions, a woman-led earthworm farm from Lebanon, specializes in raising worms and producing premium-grade vermicompost (organic fertilizers) at commercial scale. YY ReGen, another Lebanese start-up, provides innovative solutions through the promotion of renewable energy, sustainable water management, and regenerative farming. These startups have the potential to disrupt the sustainable agriculture industry and make a positive, lasting impact on society.
Each will receive an initial grant of $20,000 to support their business and help scale up their innovation, along with guided mentorship from regional subject matter professionals, as well as PepsiCo and Food Tech Valley experts. At the end of the six-month program, one winning company will be awarded an additional $100,000 in funding to continue its expansion and have an opportunity to extend its collaboration with PepsiCo to further expedite its growth.
Aamer Sheikh, CEO, Middle East – PepsiCo said, “We are delighted to continue our search for pioneering solutions that help us strengthen the resilience of our food system. This year, we have embarked on a search for transformative direct farming innovations that increase agricultural productivity while conserving our precious natural resources for the next generations. I was impressed with the caliber of the participants in the second cohort, and I am confident that together, we can blaze new trails in sustainable agriculture.”
Introduced regionally in 2021, last year’s inaugural program of the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator Program: MENA Sustainability Edition, focused on sustainable packaging and recycling. Two start-ups from Lebanon were selected among the ten shortlisted companies. Diwama which provides an AI-based image recognition software to automate waste analysis and drive recycling revenues for waste management companies as well as ‘Live, Love, Recycle’, which aims to make recycling easier by digitizing the waste management sector.
Georges Bitar – Live Love Recycle Founder commented, “We applied to the first edition of PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Accelerator Program to gain the necessary insights, mentorship, resources, and network to expand the reach of our sustainability solutions. In the first phase of the program, we were able to take LLR to the next level, and open Eco Community Centers for people to drop off their recyclables, making recycling infrastructure even more accessible.”
For more information on the initiative and the six shortlisted startups, please visit the Greenhouse Accelerator program website or the PepsiCo Positive (pep+) Middle East LinkedIn page.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
About the six companies chosen for the 2023 PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: MENA Sustainability Edition:
| COUNTRY | START-UP |
| LEBANON | Dooda Solutions is a women-led earthworm farm that uses advanced technologies to produce premium grade solid and liquid vermicompost (organic fertilizer) at commercial scale. |
| YY ReGen is a forward-thinking company committed to providing innovative solutions through the promotion of renewable energy, sustainable water management, and regenerative farming. | |
| JORDAN | SmartWTI is an IoT/AI solutions provider that specializes in designing and manufacturing water management solutions to enable the Internet of Things. |
| Smart Green is a startup that provides Agri-tech solutions to agribusinesses for Digital Transformation from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture-based on Industry 4.0 Technologies. | |
| EGYPT | NoorNation is a renewable energy startup that aims to provide sustainable decentralized energy and water infrastructure solutions to the off-grid sector across Egypt and Sub-Saharan Africa. Their product, LifeBox, is a solar-powered, self-contained mobile unit that delivers clean energy and safe water at an affordable price. |
| TUNISIA | RoboCare is a company that specializes in using spectral technology and AI to promote sustainable agriculture. Their precision farming services offer solutions to monitor crops, prevent stress, control plant requirements, improve land efficiency, and optimize pesticide needs. |