POWERED BY FANARDuring research into climate solutions for Qatar’s desert environment, a team of young Qatari females identified a gap in how carbon capture technology was being developed and taught. Most solutions were either purely industrial or purely educational, but none combined real environmental impact with hands-on learning. The team recognized that microalgae could bridge both needs simultaneously.
That insight led to the founding of AlgaQ, a startup turning microalgae into a platform for climate learning and real-world impact.
Founded by Hissa Al-Thani and her team including Rafia Al-Jassim, Teha Al-Thani, and Huda Kazi, AlgaQ developed smart photobioreactor systems that can scale from classroom demonstrations to industrial installations. These systems allow students to witness the production of biomass that captures carbon at a rate 10 times faster than trees.
“At AlgaQ, we turn carbon into opportunity by showing students that science is a tool for impact,” said Hissa, the CEO. “By making algae-based climate tech accessible and hands-on, we help young people see how nature and innovation can work together to regenerate our environment.”
The company built four core components: modular algae cultivation systems, educational kits with live cultures, biomass processing capabilities, and curriculum integration tools. All this is not just theory and students see the science in action and participate in creating biomass that becomes bio-fertilizer, sustainable materials, and protein-rich agricultural products, creating a circular economy solution.
For AlgaQ, early recognition came through Qatar’s innovation ecosystem. The won the 2024 Qatar Entrepreneurship Award for Green-Tech/Sustainability and gained coverage from CNBC Arabia. More significantly, educational institutions began integrating their systems, with schools across Qatar implementing hands-on climate science programs for the first time.
“QSTP gave us the platform to transform our idea into scalable, science-based impact,” Hissa says. “Their support reinforces our belief that deep-tech innovation can serve both people and the planet.”
Today, AlgaQ is supported by QSTP and has developed multiple algae-based products that have been deployed in educational institutions and research facilities.
In doing so, they are helping build a generation of learners who understand that environmental regeneration starts with real knowledge, and that science, when placed in the hands of students, can quite literally change the air around us.