📈 Permia Sensing wins UAE FoodTech Challenge 2026

Sri Lankan-founded agritech startup Permia Sensing has been named a winner of the global FoodTech Challenge 2026 at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, marking a major milestone for local innovation in food security. • The Award: Selected from 1,215 submissions across 113 countries. Permia is one of four winners sharing a US$ 2 million prize pool, receiving US$ 500,000 to scale its solutions. • Technology: Utilizes AI, bioacoustics sensing, and aerial imaging to detect pests, diseases, and nutrient stress in coconut, oil palm, and date plantations before symptoms appear. • Local Impact: • Manages approx. 10,000 hectares of plantations in Sri Lanka. • Creates high-skill jobs in ICT/BPM, drone operations, and machine learning. • Improves yields by reducing tree loss and optimizing water/nutrient use. • Global Expansion: Following the win, the company plans to scale operations across the Middle East, India, West Africa, and Southeast Asia to address climate-stressed farming environments. The achievement highlights the export potential of Sri Lanka’s ICT and agriculture sectors, turning local research into globally scalable technology for the Global South.