Scale for the extreme. Secure the future.
Join Unbreakable Harvest: The high-velocity growth engine for Series A+ innovators solving the future of food security and resilience. Innovation Oasis is committing over AED 10M to advancing food security innovation in the UAE. Through Unbreakable Harvest, selected startups will receive the funding, infrastructure, and commercial relationships needed to validate in the region and scale.
Launched in 2026, Unbreakable Harvest is a high-velocity growth engine for the world’s most ambitious founders solving food security and resilience.
Developed by Innovation Oasis (part of UAE-based Silal), the platform enables growth-stage startups with proven solutions to validate innovations in the arid extremes of the future, solving live challenges with regional commercial partners.
Designed as a tailored hybrid model, combining in-person validation in Al Ain with remote engagement across the cohort, selected innovators gain direct access to iO’s network of regional practitioners, desert-agriculture specialists, regulatory bodies, and Silal business units. This is the expertise and the relationships needed to localize, validate, and commercialize in one of the world’s most strategically important food markets.
With two cohorts a year and validation projects running 3-to-5 months, the platform aims to deliver new paths to commercial application, investment, and real-world impact at the speed the global food security challenge deserves.
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“Innovation Oasis is where we turn the scarcity of our landscape into the abundance of our future. We are inviting the world’s best innovators to prove it with us.”—Dr. Shamal Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer, Innovation Oasis
The Venture Package
Startups selected for Unbreakable Harvest gain access to funding, infrastructure, and direct commercial pathways, designed to accelerate validation and unlock real growth in the UAE.
Scroll to explore the full venture package below
Technologies & Approaches We’re Prioritising
Soil & Plant Health Inputs & Amendments
Biological and chemical innovations that enhance soil fertility, plant nutrition, and crop resilience in arid and saline conditions.
01Crop Innovation
Novel crop varieties, breeding techniques, and seed technologies adapted for extreme heat, water scarcity, and desert-climate growing.
02Controlled Environment Agriculture
Advanced greenhouse, vertical farming, and indoor cultivation systems that maximise yield while minimising water and energy inputs.
03Precision Agriculture
Sensor networks, AI-driven analytics, and data platforms that optimise resource allocation and decision-making at the field level.
04Water & Energy Management Solutions
Technologies for irrigation efficiency, water recycling, renewable energy integration, and resource monitoring across agricultural operations.
05Waste & Circularity
Solutions that transform agricultural waste streams into value, close nutrient loops, and reduce the environmental footprint of food production.
06Supply Chain Visibility & Intelligence
Traceability platforms, cold-chain optimisation, and demand-forecasting tools that reduce loss and improve farm-to-market connectivity.
07Selection
Finding the right growth-stage innovators to tackle each challenge area.
Onboarding
Getting your team set up and oriented around the scope, the facilities, and the Silal business units and experts you’ll be working with.
Validation
Live pilots and proof-of-concept projects in real UAE operating conditions, testing what matters with the people it matters to.
Pathways Forward
Post-pilot support that leverages the Silal relationship, ecosystem network, and iO platform to convert a successful pilot into scaled commercial agreements.
Application Form
We’re looking for growth-stage agri-innovation companies with proven solutions and the ambition to make a real impact on UAE food security. If that’s you, we want to hear from you.
Have a specific question? Check our FAQs below or register for one of our FAQ sessions to ask us directly.
Hear directly from the Innovation Oasis team about the platform, the challenge areas, and what we’re looking for our first Cohorts. Our Q&A webinars are open to any founder or team considering applying.
FAQs
This platform is designed for growth-stage startups with proven technologies, not early-stage companies building from scratch. The focus is on validating and localizing solutions in real operating conditions, and building a clear pathway to commercial adoption with Silal and its partners.
Participation does not require giving up equity. Each cohort includes only 3 to 5 companies, allowing for a more tailored and hands-on approach. Rather than standardized programming, each startup works on a defined pilot aligned to real business needs, with the goal of creating long-term commercial partnerships.
No. Silal does not take equity as a condition of participation. Participants do agree to a Right of First Refusal (ROFR) on commercial deployment within the GCC for 12 months post-pilot. You retain full freedom to commercialise globally. Full terms are outlined in the programme agreement.
No. However, we prioritize startups that are committed to building a meaningful presence in the UAE and the broader GCC region.
The platform is designed to be flexible, but in-person engagement is an important part of the experience. Startups are expected to spend time on the ground where needed to work closely with Silal teams, partners, and stakeholders. The level of in-market presence will depend on the specific requirements of each project.
Participants can expect a structured engagement over 3 to 5 months. This includes a combination of in-person time and ongoing collaboration with Silal teams.
During active phases of the pilot, startups should expect regular working sessions with business units and project stakeholders, as well as time upfront to scope and define the pilot.
The platform is designed to enable pilots and commercial opportunities, but outcomes are not guaranteed.
Each engagement is structured to give startups the best opportunity to validate their solution and build a case for adoption. Where pilots are successful, Silal will work with startups to explore next steps, including potential commercial agreements or longer-term partnerships.
Applications for the first cohorts are open until June 12, 2026. The application form is available on this page.
Additional guidance will be shared through upcoming information sessions.
Please submit all application materials in English. The program will be conducted in English, and no Arabic language knowledge is required to participate.
Upcoming FAQ Sessions
June 2, 2026Ready to fast-track the future of food security?
Apply NowStop pitching, start piloting. Applications close June 12, 2026