Mohsin Alshaikh, founder of Qatari start-up Ibtiker
The global sustainability movement has gathered pace in recent years as individuals, businesses and entire nations work together to address the climate crisis, the impact of which is already being felt by those living across the Middle East due to rising temperatures.
Using renewable energy sources and sustainable materials, as well as deploying innovative technologies, are all ways in which populations can both mitigate and adapt to the negative impact of climate change — and all of these also underpin the solution developed by Qatari start-up Ibtiker.
Over the past few years, the team at Ibtiker has developed its Oxy Water Tank Cooler, which uses cutting-edge innovation to offer a sustainable and portable alternative to usual water coolers. The product runs on solar power so is efficient to operate and is made out of recyclable plastic material.
Ibtiker Technology & Services was launched in 2016, with the aim of bringing new and innovative tech ideas to the local and regional market which could benefit the environment and the community. OXY was born as a result of extensive research to find the gap in the market and identify the need for an easy to use and environmentally friendly water-cooling system. The company ran a comprehensive feasibility study and found that water cooling tanks were not easy to find for individual users, and that there was a demand for a portable solution that customers can easily install on their own.
Oxy operates based on a high-pressure system in the cooling process. The device contains sensors that measure the temperature and turn off automatically, which preserves electricity consumption, making it more sustainable than alternative options. Its compatibility with direct power voltage from an electrical source at home means that it uses 114 watts per unit, allowing the device to save up to 228,000 watts of energy per year. The product was recognised at the World Cup 2022 for Invention and Scientific Research, organised in Tunisia last year, under the supervision of the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA), winning the gold medal and the shield of the competition.
Mohsin Alshaikh, founder of Ibtiker said: “We developed Oxy to solve a clear need for those living and working in climates such as that found in Qatar, but we also wanted to make this as sustainable and accessible as possible too. Therefore, we focused on creating an advanced technology-based solution which essentially circulates evaporating steam inside the water tank to quickly cool down temperatures from 45 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius during hot summer days.”
In its role to realise the national drive toward economic diversification and sustainability, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation, focuses on supporting start-ups that create innovative products and services that drive positive impact in the local market and beyond. This is why Ibtiker approached QSTP and was able to secure the support of its funding programme.
Ibtiker aims to become one of the biggest manufacturers of innovative solutions in the region by expanding their services across the GCC and other countries with ambient temperatures of higher than 40–45-degree Celsius.
