Deadline Date: April 01, 2026
The World Food Forum Startup Innovation Awards (SIA), powered by MassChallenge Switzerland, is inviting applications from youth-led startups leveraging technology to transform agrifood systems, fight global hunger, and advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
The 2026 awards focus on four key areas: Digital Innovation in Food Processing, Fighting Malnutrition and Enhancing Food Security, Enhancing Climate Resilience and Water Security, and Empowering Women in Agrifood Systems.
The Startup Innovation Awards aim to identify, elevate, and accelerate young entrepreneurs with solutions that have measurable, scalable, and investable impact on agrifood systems. Digital innovations in food processing are recognized for enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and resilience by optimizing processing, preservation, and packaging through data-driven insights and smart technologies. Startups addressing malnutrition and food security are celebrated for creating inclusive solutions that improve nutrition, increase access to nutritious food, and strengthen local agrifood systems using sustainable and digital approaches. Solutions tackling climate resilience and water security are acknowledged for promoting sustainable water management, strengthening adaptation to climate change, and supporting long-term sustainability for communities and agrifood systems. Innovations that empower women in agrifood systems are honored for improving access to finance, markets, skills development, entrepreneurship training, and leveraging digital tools to strengthen women’s participation and leadership.
Winners in each category will receive at least USD 7,500, with USD 2,500 awarded to runners-up, while the overall SIA winner will receive an additional USD 10,000. Selected startups gain exclusive access to the MassChallenge Switzerland Accelerator Programme in Lausanne, receiving world-class mentoring, workshops, tailored lectures, market guidance, and networking opportunities with global corporate partners. Travel support will be provided for two finalist teams per award category to attend the WFF flagship event in Rome, Italy, with extensive visibility offered through WFF Youth Initiative platforms and the official website.
To be eligible, startups must be youth-led with founders or C-level executives aged 18 to 35, have less than USD 2 million in capital raised and sales, demonstrate validated evidence of their solution through pilots or early adoption, show scalability and growth potential, and clearly contribute to more efficient and sustainable agrifood systems. Representatives pitching at online sessions, participating in the accelerator, and presenting at the Rome event must also be 35 or younger.
For more information, visit WFF.
