Meet the 2026 Startup Innovation Awards finalists

The WFF Startup Innovation Awards (SIA) powered by MassChallenge Switzerland and works with the support of Seeding the Future Foundation, Smart Solutions for Agri-food Innovation Hub (SS4A) and Extreme Tech Challenge accelerates youth-led startups to scale their agrifood businesses. It connects young entrepreneurs with world-class mentorship, networks and partnership opportunities.

For its sixth edition, SIA received 801 applications from 111 countries across four categories:

1. Digital Innovation in Food Processing
2. Enhancing Climate Resilience and Water Security
3. Fighting Malnutrition and Enhancing Food Security
4. Empowering Women in Agrifood Systems

Following a rigorous evaluation process conducted by experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank and The Yield Lab Latam during an online pitch featuring 12 pre-finalists, eight startups have been selected to present their solutions live at the SIA finals on 14 October during the 2026 WFF flagship event at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

These finalists and their solutions stand at the intersection of technology, inclusion and sustainability, reflecting the 2026 WFF theme: “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow."

Meet the 2026 finalists:

Digital Innovation in Food Processing

• ESG SAT LLC (Singapore)
• Seedsight (Portugal)

Enhancing Climate Resilience and Water Security

• Ceres FieldCheck (Germany)
• Firdous Biotech (Oman)

Fighting Malnutrition and Enhancing Food Security

• O’PASTA (Pakistan)
• Ustawi nutritional care limited company (Kenya)

Empowering Women in Agrifood Systems

• CornHouse (Cameroon)
• Kimeru (Colombia)

In addition to the four award categories, a separate select group of startups is also under consideration for the Excellence in Applied AI Award presented by Extreme Tech Challenge. This award recognizes the innovative use of applied intelligence across the 2026 categories.

Join the global audience and watch these youth-led startups present their bold, scalable solutions for a more sustainable and inclusive food future. Registrations for the WFF flagship event are currently open here.

The Startup Innovation Awards (SIA) is powered by MassChallenge Switzerland and works with the support of Seeding The Future Foundation, Smart Solutions for Agri-food Innovation Hub (SS4A) and Extreme Tech Challenge.