Catalyze UNCCD Event: The Road to COP-16

23 July 2024 – In collaboration with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Catalyze recently hosted an event entitled “The Road to COP-16” at our Amsterdam HQ. The event brought together six startups from the Catalyze portfolio to pitch their solution to desertification to UNCCD’s leadership.

Pictured: Representatives from UNCCD, Catalyze, and the start-ups.

Kickstarting a new innovation platform

UNCCD has the mission of promoting practices that avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation. In their upcoming sixteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP16) in Riyad, Saudi Arabia this December, the UNCCD looks for Startups to partake in their mission towards creating positive, long-lasting impact in relevant regions globally. The “Road to COP-16” event paved the way to kickstart an innovation platform to match relevant technology startups with UNCCD’s ecosystem.

UNCCD leadership in attendance:

• Louise Baker, Managing Director
• Sarah Toumi, Private Sector and Donor Relation Lead
• Jeroen van Dalen, Program Officer, Liv Angerer, Program Assistant, Alfie Devine-Wright, Intern

Participating Catalyze Startups:

• Sand to Green (FR)
• GreenOSoil (CH)
• Yield Computer (NL)
• Farmula (GER)
• Nature Robots (GER)
• Spatialise (NL)

Building new collaborations to combat desertification

UNCCD’s mission is to combat desertification, land degradation and drought, and foster regenerative agriculture globally.  During this event, Catalyze supported UNCCD in exploring the shared missions between the startups and the UNCCD ecosystem and identifying critical success factors.

Concrete next steps were established for both startups and the UNCCD in preparation for the Conference of the Parties (COP16), scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024. COP16 aims to collate relevant stakeholders (governments, funds, large companies, startups) for accelerating global action on land and drought.

During ‘Road to COP-16’, the UNCCD leadership team served as juries to provide feedback to 6 selected Catalyze startups in an on-site pitch session.

Louise Baker, Managing Director of the UNCCD Global Mechanism, commented:

“Meeting this diverse group of innovators and entrepreneurs in Amsterdam was inspiring. Great to see how the technologies needed to ensure healthier land are already available, and that young entrepreneurs are ready to make this a business!”

Creating actionable strategies

Following the feedback, break-out sessions commenced where groups of UNCCD leadership, each startup, and the Catalyze leadership team – represented by Marlene Végh, CEO; Theodoor Rutgers CSO; and Neeltje Ramnath, Business Unit Manager GSI – worked together to identify actionable strategies needed to further the collaboration between the UNCCD and the startup.

Sebastian Pütz, CEO of Nature Robots, reflected:

“During the breakout sessions, we looked at the specific needs and farming practices on the ground in each country to customize our solutions and enable the UNCCD to coordinate an exchange with local farmers.

“Looking ahead, it would also make sense to present concrete actions as a community of start-ups at COP16, as we are all developing a part of the overall solution against desertification or for the restoration of arable land.”

Catalyze’s role in supporting UNCCD

Catalyze has played a pivotal role in fostering a successful collaboration between the UNCCD and its portfolio of startups that focus on facilitating regenerative agriculture and combating desertification. Through continued sustained efforts, Catalyze supports the UNCCD and the startups joint missions to ensure impactful preparation for the COP16.

This collaboration not only strengthens the efforts to address the challenges of desertification but also empowers the selected startups to proactively contribute to this environmental challenge. Together, Catalyze and the UNCCD aim to create meaningful networks that can drive change in the fight against desertification.

In the lead organizing the event, Werner Fischer, Managing Consultant at Catalyze, commented:

“The UNCCD’s noble mission of regenerating areas affected by land degradation benefits greatly from the active participation of cutting-edge technologies and purpose-driven businesses. I applaud the UNCCD for this innovative approach, which facilitates powerful private-public partnerships to achieve a common goal.

“We are eager to support our startups in becoming integral parts of such a relevant ecosystem. This will allow best-in-class technology companies to demonstrate how to rejuvenate underserved communities while tapping into new and exciting growth markets.”

Startups presenting their technologies

Learn more about the six startups who received an invitation from Catalyze to present their technologies:

Sand to Green 

Sand to Green has an innovative, regenerative and fully integrated agroforestry model that offers a sustainable solution to the challenges of advancing deserts, soil degradation, food security and pressure on primary forests through the deployment and monitoring of large-scale agricultural projects in arid environments.

GreenOSoil

GreenOSoil is a pioneering Climate AgTech company dedicated to creating the largest geospatial digital data platform in agriculture – GreenO, focusing on the world’s primary agricultural regions.

Yield Computer

YieldComputer supports growers worldwide in improving their forecast process and business results. This is done by streamlining their data collection and registration, automating the process of fruit counting and finally providing high value insights throughout the production chain.

Farmula

Farmula has developed a functional seed-coating made from biochar allowing to apply a great variety of agricultural substances directly to the seed where they are most efficient. Macro- and micronutrients as well as biological substances interact with each other in order to stabilize yields, minimize CO2 emissions and reduce stress during high temperatures. They further regenerate soils, by helping to increase their humus contents and stop desertification.

Nature Robots

Nature Robots is a spin-off of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). Nature Robots develops autonomous farming technologies to enhance agricultural resilience, leveraging biodiversity, profitability, CO2 sequestration, and  addressing complexities of regenerative farming and labour shortage. The systems support fully autonomous agricultural robots for large-scale farming, but also for water-saving and regenerative cropping systems, integrating market garden principles with agroforestry to protect against extreme weather and create microclimates.

Spatialise

Spatialise has developed the most accurate remote sensing AI powered carbon model on the market. With frequent and scalable soil health monitoring, Spatialise is addressing the critical challenge of over 30% of global agricultural soil degradation. The mission of Spatialise is to regenerate 1 Bn hectare of soils worldwide, essential for nature conservation, sustainable farming and future food security.

UNCCD mission and aims for COP16

The UNCCD unites leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society, and global stakeholders to accelerate progress in sustainable land management. With 197 signatories, this international treaty aims to restore and manage land to benefit humanity and the planet. The upcoming sixteenth session of the COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will focus on:

• Accelerating land restoration
• Enhancing drought resilience
• Secure land rights for women
• Creating opportunities for rural youth

This conference aims to drive a sustainable and green transition in Saudi Arabia, the region, and beyond.

The UNCCD is looking for startups that:

• Address challenges around land restoration and drought resilience
• Have a compelling & validated technology (>TRL5)
• Seek opportunities to demonstrate and implement their technologies in emerging economies

Relevant links

UNCCD website 

COP16 Event 

About Catalyze

Catalyze is an innovation consultancy committed to accelerating innovations that have a positive impact on people and planet. We deploy a unique combination of scientific and business knowledge to drive the success of innovations across the fields of life science, sustainability, digitalisation and industrialisation. Through our strategy and funding consulting, project management, investment services and more, we deliver impactful expertise throughout the innovation journey to academics, start-ups and scale-ups.