Agriculture and furniture startups win Lebanon's Open Innovation Week

An agriculture startup and a furniture design startup were awarded the top two prizes at Altcity’s Open Innovation Week.

“We decided that, since the ideas were really good and had potential, we wanted two winners to have the chance to continue,” said Altcity’s cofounder David Nabti.

Open Innovation Week capped a 10-week mentorship program with Bader.

Meet the winners

Lifelab aims to build smart hydroponic farms (climate-controlled vertical farms that use water, minerals and nutrients and air pumps instead of soil). Armed with their own 3,000 m² model-farm and facilitation partners, the startup plans to help local and regional farmers increase their yields tenfold. While capital intensive in the beginning, this technology has proven itself in the west. It promises vertical planting, high-quality year-round yields, fully-automated handling and pesticide-free produce.

“There are huge problems that this technology could solve in Lebanon and in the region,” says founder Ali Makhzoum, “like crop losses, seasonal crops, absence of government support and import competition. And of course, the economy.”

Original article by Maysaa Ajaan

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Agriculture and furniture startups win Lebanon’s Open Innovation Week