The World Food Prize Foundation announced the winners of the inaugural Innovate for Impact Challenge on Oct. 22 during the foundation’s annual Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue.
The three winners are:
First place ($50,000): APOLO Biotech, Argentina | RNA technology. APOLO Biotech addresses the challenges of climate change impact on agriculture and the need to reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides.
Second place ($10,000): Vet Konect, Nigeria | Animal care. Vet Konect is a digital animal health platform reimagining animal care across Africa by leveraging mobile connectivity and artificial intelligence to provide animal health coverage and social protection for livestock farmers regardless of the barriers of distance.
Third place ($5,000): Capsber Agriscience, India | Microbiome-based agri-biotech for chemical-free farming. Capsber Agriscience aims to revolutionize agriculture through a next-generation microbiome platform that eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.
“These finalists embody the spirit of innovation needed to confront the urgent challenges of food security and climate resilience,” Mashal Husain, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “By bringing forward solutions that are both scalable and sustainable, they demonstrate the power of science and entrepreneurship to transform agriculture for farmers everywhere.”
Selected from nearly 400 applicants across 65 countries, the finalists represent transformative, scalable ideas with the potential for worldwide impact, the news release said.
After winning, Matías Badano, CEO of APOLO Biotech, said he had a team celebrating with him back home.
“I was very nervous,” he said of the pitch competition. “It was amazing. We are working so hard backstage. You want to be a winner.
“It’s very difficult to be the pitcher on the stage,” he added, noting that there were lots of different backgrounds in the audience.
In a prepared statement prior to the competition, Badano said, “RNA technology is transforming agriculture, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional pesticides. At APOLO Biotech, we are proud to be at the forefront of this revolution, developing RNA-based solutions to build a more resilient and sustainable food system.”
The finalists each pitched their ventures at the Borlaug Dialogue in a Shark Tank-style presentation to a panel of judges.
“The Innovate for Impact Challenge attracted transformative startups all over the world, underscoring the global drive to create a more secure and sustainable food future,” Thomas Vilsack, CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “These three remarkable startups represent bold thinking and real-world impact, and we are proud to spotlight their contributions on the world stage.”