Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Terraxy, a startup born from research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), secured $3 million in a Seed-2 round led by Wa’ed Ventures, with support from KAUST.
According to the official statement, Terraxy will use the new capital to scale soil-regeneration technologies for landscaping and carbon capture in desert environments.
The funding will also support Terraxy’s transition from pilot-scale production to industrial production and deployment across the Kingdom, including the establishment of a 30,000-square-meter commercial facility in Al Zulfi, marking a significant step toward large-scale commercialization.
Anas Algahtani, CEO of Wa’ed Ventures, said: "Our investment in Terraxy reflects our conviction in deep-tech solutions that address real challenges in Saudi Arabia while offering scalable commercial potential. What differentiates Terraxy is not only the strength of its underlying science, but its ability to translate that science into a deployable, industrial solution.”
He emphasized Wa’ed Ventures’ commitment to backing innovations that can move beyond the lab and play a tangible role in advancing the Kingdom’s sustainability and economic diversification goals.
On the other hand, Ian Campbell OBE, Senior Vice President at the National Transformation Institute at KAUST, said: “We are delighted to see the maturation of KAUST technology from research to lab scale, through pilot scale, and now to full-scale production. NTI has enabled this transition by supporting technologies to scale in ways that contribute to national priorities. We see Carbosoil as an integral part of soil enrichment and assisting with the ambitious goals of the Saudi Green Initiative and enhancing the carbon credit economy."
In Saudi Arabia, soils are sandy and inefficient at retaining nutrients and water, limiting agriculture, landscaping, and large-scale greening efforts. Carbosoil, Terraxy’s proprietary soil enhancer, can deliver up to 70% improvement in plant growth and yield with the same water and nutrient inputs, improving resource-use efficiency in sandy soils.