Lausanne, Switzerland — August 22, 2025 — MassChallenge Switzerland is proud to announce the seven finalists for their new Prize to Fight Malnutrition and Enhance Food Security, part of the World Food Forum (WFF)’s Startup Innovation Awards 2025. The prize highlights innovative solutions that combat malnutrition, improve food accessibility, and strengthen agrifood systems, particularly in the Global South. 

Malnutrition remains a global challenge, with undernutrition, overnutrition, and food insecurity threatening public health, economic growth, and sustainable development. The seven finalists selected for this prize showcase innovative approaches that directly strengthen agrifood systems — from sustainable proteins and nutrient-rich local crops to climate-smart agriculture, food waste reduction, and regenerative sourcing. Together, they embody the impact and scalability needed to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities). 

The 2025 finalists represent a broad set of high-impact approaches: 

• Croptimus (Egypt) – Using AI-optimized pyrolysis to turn agri-waste into biochar, boosting yields and restoring soils. 

• dprotein (Mexico) – Producing optimized proteins for human nutrition in a sustainable fashion. 

• EcoPlant Protein (Kenya) – Turning Agricultural Waste into Sustainable & Equitable Nutrition for All — Saving Countless Lives.

• Koji (Colombia) – Leveraging fermentation and data science to create natural, functional food ingredients that reduce harmful additives. 

• MAHTA (Brazil) – Delivering microbiome-boosting superfoods while supporting Amazon rainforest communities through regenerative sourcing. 

• Millets Now (India) – Combating iron deficiency with “Nutri Dabba”, a millet-based nutrition solution for children and women. 

• SnackOn (Nepal) – Building Nepal’s first scalable health food company with affordable, nutrient-dense snacks made from local produce. 

As finalists, these youth-led startups will be connected to MassChallenge Switzerland’s corporate partners, receive mentorship, networking opportunities, and one-on-one coaching through the MassChallenge Switzerland Accelerator programme in Lausanne.

Access to MassChallenge Switzerland’s corporate partners — including Bühler, Givaudan, dsm-firmenich, Louis Dreyfus Company,  Omya, Südzucker, SIG Group, Mars, Novonesis, PMI, SMC, ServiceNow, and Eisberg — offers the startups opportunities to learn how to bring their products to market and the potential to scale their solution for expansion.

“We want to enable these high potential high impact startups by connecting them to both our partner and mentor networks. We hope that this advice and expertise, and perhaps even joint collaboration, leads to startups’ solutions being rolled out to fight malnutrition and strengthen food systems, so we not only address urgent health challenges but also accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Matt Lashmar, Managing Director of MassChallenge Switzerland.  

Startups will also gain international visibility through the WFF Youth Initiative communication platforms.

”By joining forces with MassChallenge Switzerland, we are able to support high-potential startups from the Global South with the networks and visibility they need to grow. It’s inspiring to see so many solutions led by and supporting youth and women, proof  that inclusive innovation is not only possible, but essential to addressing global nutrition challenges,” said Abir Kharrat, Youth Innovation Specialist, FAO. 

The winner will be awarded €10,000 in cash at the MassChallenge Switzerland Awards Ceremony in Lausanne on October 30, 2025. 

About MassChallenge Switzerland 

MassChallenge Switzerland is part of the MassChallenge global network for innovators. MassChallenge equips bold entrepreneurs to disrupt the status quo and create meaningful change. Since MassChallenge Switzerland’s launch in 2016, they have accelerated 950 startups who have raised CHF2B in funding and generated 59,000 Jobs.  

🚀 Join our Mentor-matching sessions as a potential mentor on September 3, and/or celebrate innovation with us at the Awards Ceremony on October 30 — check out both events here.

About World Food Forum  

The World Food Forum (WFF) is an open and inclusive global platform established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2021 to drive the transformation of agrifood systems through the power of youth, science and innovation, and investment. It brings together stakeholders of all ages and sectors to turn ideas into action, scale solutions, and foster meaningful partnerships that accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

At the core of the WFF is the Global Youth Action Initiative, which harnesses the passion and ingenuity of young people to advance inclusive food governance, drive youth-led innovation and promote sustainable solutions. Through a diverse set of thematic programmes-covering policy engagement, innovation. cultural expression and grassroots action-the initiative empowers youth with the skills, resources and platforms they need to lead transformative change at local, national and global levels.