Strataphy, the deep‑tech startup based in Khobar, has secured $6 million in seed funding to revolutionise how energy‑intensive infrastructure is cooled.
The round was led by Outliers VC and Shorooq, with participation from VC. The startup says the capital will be used to scale its engineering and operations teams and expand deployments across giga‑projects, industrial sites, and hyperscale data centres in the MENA region.
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In hot regions like the Middle East, cooling presents a growing challenge: it already consumes a significant portion of the power used in industrial and AI infrastructure. Strataphy’s novel solution is based on its proprietary PrimeLoop™ subsurface technology, which taps into deep, stable thermal energy to cool facilities while using much less power than traditional systems.
According to Strataphy, its system has demonstrated power savings of up to 49% in commercial settings compared to conventional cooling.
Founders Dr. Ammar Alali and Ahmed Alhani bring over 15 years of subsurface exploration and geothermal engineering experience to the table. Their work at Saudi Aramco and other projects laid the foundation for PrimeLoop—a system engineered specifically for high-temperature climates rather than the traditional geothermal systems built for heating.
Strataphy’s clients include major regional players such as NEOM, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Tabreed, Enersol, ADNOC Drilling, and Alpha Dhabi Holdings. Many of these projects are enabled via Strataphy’s “Cooling as a Service” (CAS) model, which converts what would be a capital‑intensive installation into predictable operational costs.
Mohammed Almeshekah, Founder and GP at Outliers VC, highlighted the underserved opportunity in scalable, efficient cooling, saying that demand is accelerating alongside AI adoption. Shane Shin, Founding Partner at Shorooq, described Strataphy’s technology as a “fundamental rethinking” of how energy, infrastructure, and environment intersect in hot‑climate economies.
Strataphy also recently partnered with Tanmiah Food to build one of the MENA region’s first geothermal-cooled poultry farms, using its subsurface cooling system to reduce operating costs and emissions.
Why Strataphy Matters to MENA Startups
For MENA startups, Strataphy’s approach highlights a major innovation opportunity in energy efficiency. By demonstrating how high-impact, climate-adapted technologies can reduce operational costs, the company sets an example for other deep tech ventures in the region. Cooling is no longer just a utility; it’s a strategic advantage for startups scaling in energy-intensive sectors like AI, industrial automation, and smart infrastructure.
For a region rapidly embracing AI and industrial growth, Strataphy’s approach is both timely and critical. If successful, the company could make cooling more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective, offering a strategic advantage for energy-intensive operations across the Middle East.
