Stavanger-based Desert Control combats climate change by halting desertification with its patented nanoclay technology. According to estimates from Desert Control, desertification, which is also called “soil death,” directly impacts the lives and livelihoods of more than 100 million people in Saharan Africa. Based on the results of successful pilots in Dubai the MASSIV organizers believe that Desert Control can play a significant role in building the Great Green Wall of the Sahara, a project that promises to improve health and prosperity for people in the area.

Unlike traditional accelerators and corporate innovation programs, Lighthouse MASSIV is free and focused primarily on global challenges. By partnering with startups that have high potential to improve the prosperity and security of the planet, MASSIV seeks to make inclusive growth a reality for those most in need.

Other companies that took part in the MASSIV program include Jamii.one, a group savings app designed to empower women in Sub-Saharan Africa; Normative, a sustainability reporting software used by corporations and investors around the world; Hiveonline, a community finance platform designed to support financially excluded entrepreneurs; Aion Sigma, a company that provides affordable smartphones to those without credit or internet history; and Red Flash, a micro-taxation service aimed at empowering local governments in Africa. Mastercard, together with Invenio Growth, its partner in running Lighthouse, hopes to enhance all these companies through collaborations, thereby making the world a more prosperous and secure place.

As winner of the program, Desert Control receives an invitation to pitch for Start Path, Mastercard’s global start-up engagement program

You can follow Desert Control’s journey, and see startups selected for later classes, by following the program’s LinkedIn page.