Announcing the 2025 Startup Innovation Awards
Organization’s World Food Forum
Event Date
October 15, 2025
Location
Rome
Entries Open
April 16, 2025
Entries Close
May 29, 2025
Categories
Equitable and Sustainable Nutrition
Startups driving inclusive solutions to ensure access to nutritious, sustainable food for all. This award recognizes innovations across food production, distribution and consumption that promote health and well-being, making nutritious food more accessible, affordable, and equitable for communities everywhere.
Digital Innovation in Food Processing
Startups developing cutting-edge solutions to enhance the sustainability, efficiency and resilience of food processing systems. This award celebrates innovations transforming how raw food materials are processed, preserved, and packaged using data-driven insights, smart equipment and connected platforms that optimize every step of the food processing chain.
Enhancing Climate Resilience
Startups developing innovative solutions to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change and water scarcity. This award recognizes technologies and practices that promote sustainable water management, strengthen resilience to climate change and support the long-term sustainability of agrifood systems and the communities that depend on them.
Driving Innovation in Agrifood Systems
Startups developing digital innovations that enhance the sustainability, efficiency and resilience of agrifood systems. This award highlights the use of technologies such as IoT, AI, blockchain, automation, drones, robotics and advanced data analytics to optimize resource use, reduce environmental impact and promote long-term sustainability across the agrifood value chain.
5,000+
Startup applications across 120+ countries, covering a wide spectrum of tech vertical and funding stages
$4.4B
Venture Capital Funding Raised by XTC Startup Finalists (2015-2023)
350+
VCs and CVCs on the XTC Evaluation Committee, Global Partners
36%
Female Founded finalists
Semi Finalists
Sustainable Planet
QurieGen
Key dates
Judges
Finals Committee
Private Sector for development and advancing innovation Specialist FAO RNE
UN FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa
Assitant Clinical Professor and EIR at College of Agricultural Sciences
Pennsylvania State University
Semi Finals Committee
Private Sector for development and advancing innovation Specialist FAO RNE
UN FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa
Programme Management and Implementation Specialist
Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, UN FAO
Nutrition Mainstreaming and Youth Engagement consultant
UN FAO, Food and Nutrition Div.
Senior Business Support Manager, Food Division
European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT)
Project Manager Entrepreneurship
European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT)
Sr Technical Advisor and Retired CPG Innovation Vice President
Partners in Food Solutions
Assitant Clinical Professor and EIR at College of Agricultural Sciences
Pennsylvania State University
Event sponsors
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