Sky Kurtz, Pure Harvest CEO: How He Raised $300M To Build AgTech Farms In The UAE Desert Lucidity Insights: Startup Spotlights podcast

Sky Kurtz, Pure Harvest CEO: How He Raised $300M to Build AgTech Farms in the UAE Desert

1d ago 1:46:44

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From private equity investor to agritech trailblazer, Sky Kurtz, Co-Founder & CEO of Pure Harvest Smart Farms, joins a special episode of the Startup Spotlights Podcast by Lucidity Insights to unpack how he built one of the Middle East’s leading controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) companies. Host Erika Welch dives into Sky’s journey from Stanford and global finance to launching a high-tech farming conglomerate solving the region’s biggest challenges in food security, sustainable agriculture, and farming in extreme climates.

Sky breaks down the complexities of scaling CEA technology in extreme climates — including water-efficient greenhouse systems, climate-resilient food production, and the technologies enabling year-round fresh produce in the GCC. He offers deep insights into the future of water conservation in the Middle East, the region’s transition beyond petrodollar-driven economies, and what it will take for the UAE to become a global hub for agritech, sustainability, and home-grown unicorn startups.

Sky also shares candid, hard-won advice for founders on startup fundraising, navigating macroeconomic shifts, investor expectations in the GCC, and building high-performance teams in complex, capital-intensive sectors. A must-listen episode for anyone exploring agritech innovation, food and water security, UAE startup funding, or the future of sustainable food systems.

Sky Kurtz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skykurtz/
PureHarvest Startup profile: https://lucidityinsights.com/startups/pure-harvest-1342

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Chapters

1. Intro & Episode Teaser — Startup Spotlights Podcast by Lucidity Insights (00:00:00)

2. How Sky Went From Investing in Startups to Building One (00:02:22)

3. Stanford Days, Big Ideas & Catching the Founder Bug (00:07:05)

4. Quick Break (00:20:12)

5. How Pure Harvest Started & Cracking the CEA Code (00:21:05)

6. Inside Pure Harvest’s Futuristic Greenhouses + Water Struggles in the Gulf (00:29:45)

7. How Sky Leads Today & What He Actually Spends His Time On (00:38:33)

8. What’s Next for Water Security in the Middle East (00:38:56)

9. Life After Oil? How the Region’s Prepping for the Future (00:41:37)

10. Food Security in the Gulf: The Real Challenges & AgTech Answers (00:44:14)

11. How Market Forces Shape Sustainable Farming at Scale (00:48:17)

12. Why Getting the Right Team Onboard Matters (From Boardroom down) (00:50:25)

13. Sky’s Fundraising Tips for Early Founders (01:03:27)

14. Fundraising Meets Macro Forces: How to Navigate the Chaos (01:09:23)

15. The Truth About Raising Multiple Rounds in the Middle East (01:15:02)

16. Can the UAE Create Its Own Unicorns? Sky Weighs In (01:22:51)

17. Can the UAE Create Its Own Unicorns? Sky Weighs In (01:30:00)

4 episodes