ISTANBUL, May 25 (ANI) — Agricultural nanotechnology firm ANT Systems has launched industrial-scale production of NANOTERN™, a biodegradable, cellulose-based water-retention material designed to address drought conditions, the company announced Saturday.
Headquartered in The Hague through ANT Systems Holding B.V., with research and production facilities in Istanbul, the company said it has raised approximately $5 million to date and values its technology portfolio at more than $30 million.
NANOTERN™, already in use in the United States, South America, the Gulf region, and parts of Africa, will now be produced at a new Istanbul facility with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons.
While several major global agricultural companies are developing similar superabsorbent and controlled-release technologies, many remain in laboratory or pilot phases. ANT Systems said it is currently the first and only producer manufacturing such patent-protected material at industrial scale with field-tested results.
According to the company, NANOTERN™ can absorb up to 1,800 times its own weight in water and gradually release it back into the soil as plants require it, leaving no residue behind.
ANT Systems said its technologies focus on regulating natural resources and agricultural inputs, including water, fertilizers, and crop-protection compounds. The company claims the material can reduce irrigation use by up to 50 percent while increasing crop yields by up to 25 percent.
Agriculture accounts for approximately 70 percent of global freshwater consumption, according to United Nations data. The global market for superabsorbent and controlled-release agricultural technologies is projected to exceed $30 billion over the next decade.
ANT Systems holds global patent rights to seven nano-bio technologies under the NANOTERN™, ANTIMIC AGRO, and INSEASE brands. The technologies were developed over 15 years of research at Sabanci University in Istanbul and include biodegradable superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), heavy-metal-free disinfection agents, nano-scale encapsulation technologies, and smart greenhouse films.
Can Yurdakul, co-founder and chief executive officer of ANT Systems, said the technology represents a major shift in water management for agriculture.
“The real breakthrough is not using less water — it is managing it. We built a material that holds water in the soil and returns it to the plant on demand. In regions where access to water decides whether a harvest survives, this is no longer an agricultural product; it is a food-security tool — and we are producing it at industrial scale while most of the world is still in the lab,” Yurdakul said.
Professor Yusuf Menceloglu, co-founder and chief technology officer, said the nano-scale design of the products allows greater efficiency with smaller amounts of material.
“The reason these products are nano is simple: with less material you achieve more effective results,” he said.
Guler Sabanci, chairperson of the Sabanci Foundation and an investor in the company, said science and technology are essential tools in addressing climate change and water stress.
“In facing the climate crisis and the water stress we are living through, the only thing we can rely on is technology and science-based research,” Sabanci said.
Agricultural Nano Technology Systems (ANT Systems) describes itself as a deep-tech agricultural nanotechnology company focused on developing science-driven solutions for sustainable farming. The company operates from its headquarters in The Hague and maintains research and production infrastructure in Türkiye.
ANT Systems said its technologies are aimed at addressing major global challenges, including freshwater scarcity, soil degradation, and food security. (ANI)
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