Agritech innovators,Muhammed Khalil and Khaled Metwally look into the technology to save farmers millions of dollars by creating a solution that allows for the early detection of Red Palm Weevil—an invasive species. In the heart of Manama, Muhammed Khalil and co-founder Khaled Metwally worked on a startup to save farmers millions of dollars.

This startup is called Nakheel—an agri-tech IoT based solution that enables early detection of Red Palm Weevils in date and palm trees. For those who don’t know, the Red Palm Weevil has been branded by the United Nations as a “global threat” with more than 60 countries around the world being in danger from this insect.

The Red Palm Weevil is an insect that attacks palm tree trunks by laying 300 eggs that convert into larvae, those larvae feed into the internal fiber of the tree, and eventually lead to total destruction of the tree, while having no alarming signs of damage. Farmers are currently relying on legacy techniques like visual inspection, pheromones and/or light traps, which are not effective. The Red Palm Weevil attacks more than 40 different kinds of palm trees, majority of which are productive farm products with high economic value, like oil palm, coconut and date palm trees.

The idea behind Nakheel was inspired two years ago by the co-founders’ interaction with a date manufacturer, who went on at length about the challenges of protecting date palm trees from the invasive species. Eager to address this challenge through their networking expertise, Muhammed Khalil and co-founder Khaled Metwally spent one year prototyping their product through intensive hands-on research.

Muhammed Khalil is a telecom engineer with a passion for agritech.

Raised in Zagagig’s agricultural backdrop, he observed firsthand how date palm trees were getting destroyed by the red palm weevil, an invasive species. He met co-founder Khaled Metwally in 2004 in Cairo University, where they both graduated as electronics engineers. Khaled went on to work in electronics in Saudi Arabia, while Muhammed worked in telecommunications in Etisalat in the United Arab Emirates. From May 2018 to July 2018, they incubated in the Brinc Internet of Things and Connected Hardware accelerator program, which combines online education with onsite training, one-on-one mentorship, and access to investors, manufacturers and industry experts.

They developed an early-warning solution system with a comprehensive GIS database which is updated daily to help track the exact locations of trees with an early-stage Red Palm Weevil infestation. This allows farmers and government to solve the problem early on and save the trees.Nakheel’s first customers were in the UK, where their first order was 100 pieces.Nakheel aims to expand into the Saudi market in the future. Over the next 5 years, they plan to sell 1 million devices and pursue further growth in the GCC. When asked how Brinc accelerator program helped his startup, Khalil mentioned, “We learned from hardware experts and manufacturers, and understood from the mistakes of other startups. We also got help on our financials and learned how to brand ourselves.” Their advice for startups is to consistently add value in their products and services.

About Brinc

Brinc MENA is the region’s first dedicated IoT accelerator, bringing the knowledge of manufacturing connected hardware products in China, access to funding through a wide network of investors, and business expertise from seasoned entrepreneurs. Brinc MENA fosters an ecosystem of IoT innovators across the MENA region and delivers world-class connected hardware products to the global market. Headquartered in Hong Kong with locations in Poland, India, China, and Barcelona, Brinc supports founders in building connected hardware products for global markets by offering programs and services tailored for connected hardware startups and tech entrepreneurs looking for speed, support and expertise to build successful companies. Brinc works together with local partners such as Tamkeen, Startup Bahrain and the EDB to build on the foundations of a fast-growing startup ecosystem.