Sky Kurtz, the founder and CEO of Pure Harvest Smart Farms, stands as a transformative figure in sustainable agriculture. Based in the United Arab Emirates, his company leverages cutting-edge technology to grow premium-quality fruits and vegetables year-round in one of the world’s most challenging climates. Kurtz’s mission-driven leadership focuses on tackling food security, water conservation, and sustainability, making Pure Harvest a beacon of innovation in the Middle East’s agribusiness sector.
Career in Private Equity
Before entering agriculture, Kurtz built a successful career in private equity. He worked with Francisco Partners, a $10 billion technology-focused investment firm in San Francisco, where he invested in sectors like healthcare IT, semiconductor capital equipment, and biometrics. He also served as an investor at CCMP Capital, a New York-based firm, gaining experience across diverse industries. Kurtz held board roles at companies like Ichor Systems and T-System, where he provided strategic guidance on mergers, acquisitions, and financing.
Transition to Entrepreneurship
Sky Kurtz’s shift from private equity to entrepreneurship was driven by a desire to address pressing global issues. Before founding Pure Harvest, he co-founded Vence, a San Diego-based company that developed wearable technology for livestock management, later sold to Merck Animal Health. He also served as a divisional CEO at Pultron Composites, a company specializing in composite materials, which was acquired by Owens Corning.
Founding Pure Harvest Smart Farms
In 2016, Sky Kurtz co-founded Pure Harvest Smart Farms with Mahmoud Adi and Robert Kupstas, motivated by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region’s food security challenges. The GCC uses two-thirds of its freshwater to produce less than 15% of its food, highlighting the need for sustainable solutions. Kurtz saw an opportunity to use controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) to grow fresh produce locally, reducing reliance on imports and conserving resources. As he reflected in a TIME interview, “We started with nothing but a PowerPoint, a pile of dirt, and the promise of what we would do.” This determination led to the establishment of Pure Harvest as a technology-enabled agribusiness.
Pure Harvest’s mission is to produce high-quality, affordable, and locally grown fruits and vegetables. The company’s hybrid growing systems combine advanced greenhouses with precise climate controls, enabling year-round production in the UAE’s desert climate. By 2018, Pure Harvest achieved a significant milestone by commissioning its first greenhouse and planting its first crop, marking the beginning of its transformative journey.
Achievements Under Kurtz’s Leadership
Sky Kurtz’s leadership has propelled Pure Harvest to remarkable heights. The company has secured substantial funding, including a $4.5 million seed round in 2017 and a $100 million commitment from Wafra in 2021, the largest agtech investment in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (MENAPT) region. In 2023, Pure Harvest acquired RedSea’s six-hectare CEA facility near Riyadh, expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia. A $150 million partnership with the Richel Group further supports the deployment of high-tech smart farms across the Middle East and Asia.
Pure Harvest’s technological innovations have redefined farming efficiency. Its systems are 30 times more efficient than traditional field farming and 7 times more efficient than typical desert greenhouses. The company grows over 20 varieties of tomatoes, leafy greens, and berries, all pesticide-residue-free, using beneficial insects for natural pest control. By producing food less than 100 km from consumption, Pure Harvest reduces carbon emissions and offers lower prices than imported varieties, enhancing affordability and sustainability.
Impact on Food Security and Sustainability
Pure Harvest’s impact extends beyond financial success. By growing fresh produce locally, the company reduces the UAE’s dependence on food imports, which often involve high costs and environmental waste. Its water-efficient systems are critical in a region where water scarcity is a pressing issue. As Sky Kurtz noted in an Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week interview, “Sustainability is foundational both to our company’s vision and to our business strategy. Pure Harvest is unique in that we are an energy company, taking sunlight and converting it into calories as efficiently as possible.”
Pure Harvest also collaborates with governments, schools, and research institutions to advance sustainable agriculture. Its efforts contribute to economic diversification in the UAE, creating jobs and fostering innovation in the agtech sector.
Vision for the Future
Sky Kurtz envisions Pure Harvest as a global leader in sustainable agriculture. In a Heidrick & Struggles podcast, he stated, “I think it’s one of the great challenges of our society in the next 50 years. And we hope that Pure Harvest smart farms become part of even just a piece of that solution.” His long-term goal is to expand Pure Harvest’s model to Southeast Asia and beyond, adopting a “Hilton Hotels model” where the company designs, builds, and operates farms for partners, enabling local-for-local production worldwide.
Sky Kurtz is particularly excited about the role of technology, such as generative AI, in democratizing access to advanced farming tools. He believes that technology-enabled producers will play a critical role in addressing the global food gap, and Pure Harvest is well-positioned to lead this transformation.
Leadership Style and Philosophy
Sky Kurtz’s leadership is characterized by vision, resilience, and a commitment to building impactful teams. He emphasizes hiring individuals with the right skills and passion for the company’s mission, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. His ability to navigate challenges, from securing funding to scaling operations in a harsh climate, reflects his strategic foresight and adaptability.
Sky Kurtz has transformed Pure Harvest Smart Farms into a trailblazer in sustainable agriculture, addressing critical challenges in food security and resource conservation. From its first greenhouse in 2018 to its regional expansion and global ambitions, the company reflects Kurtz’s vision of a more sustainable future.
