The winner will be awarded a CHF 100,000 cash prize, with no equity taken, along with any additional cash prizes from MassChallenge Switzerland’s accelerator.

Early-stage startups (those with less than $2M in capital raised and less than $2M in sales) will take part in MassChallenge Switzerland’s accelerator program, designed to help businesses scale.

Participants will attend workshops and gain access to resources and mentorship to help refine and quantify their climate resilience solutions.

Startups will also have the opportunity to connect and collaborate with investors focused on making a positive, sustainable impact on food and agricultural value chains. This includes direct access to LDC decision-makers and, if applicable and of interest, potential talks about expanding their solutions.

Startups will also receive exposure at the final judging event in Lausanne, Switzerland, part of the MassChallenge Switzerland Awards, which will be attended by over 400 people, as well as through various related promotional efforts.

They are seeking startups that:

- Offer innovative products, technologies, processes, or solutions that can enhance climate resilience in food and agriculture by reducing emissions across value chains. Startups will need to quantify the environmental impact of their solutions, such as the amount of CO2 avoided or sequestered over the next decade (until 2035) using the MassChallenge Impact Calculator. For instance: How much CO2 will be avoided or stored per ton of product annually? How much freshwater will be saved each year? How much waste will be prevented from being emitted annually? How many natural resources will be recovered or prevented from being wasted each year?

- Present a viable concept. Startups must show evidence of traction among their target users, and demonstrate the financial sustainability of their idea. This could include data like sales to consumers, manufacturers, or farmers, or the scale of their supply network (e.g., farmers), as well as details about their business model.

- Have a scalable solution. Startups need to illustrate how their idea can expand and prove that their pricing is competitive in the market. Scaling could include reaching millions of farmers, being sold to millions of consumers, or being implemented in manufacturing settings. Collaboration with LDC is optional but possible.

- Range from Pre-seed to Series C+. Both early-stage and later-stage startups are encouraged to apply. What matters most is the impact, feasibility, and scalability of their idea and how it contributes to climate resilience in food and agricultural technology.

- Are open to global participation. Startups from any country can apply. However, as accelerator events will be held in Switzerland, applicants should ensure they can travel to Europe. The selection process itself will take place online.

They are specifically looking for proven solutions or technologies in the following areas:
- Land use impact: regenerative agriculture, smart farming, water conservation, pesticide and fertilizer reduction, crop health and yield improvements, biodiversity preservation.
- Traceability: end-to-end supply chain tracking, from farm to consumer.
- Upcycling: transforming low-value agricultural commodities and utilizing by-products.
- CO2 reduction: applications across agriculture value chains, including feed, processing, and transportation (land and maritime).

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