Louis Dreyfus Company Climate Resilience Prize 2023 (up to CHF 100,000)

The Louis Dreyfus Company Climate Resilience Prize application period is currently open. The LDC Climate Resilience Prize, worth CHF 100,000, has been created by Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) and MassChallenge Switzerland to encourage entrepreneurs advancing climate resilience in agriculture and food industry chains.

Being a top trader and processor of agricultural products, LDC’s mission is to support efforts made worldwide to feed a rising population in order to create a secure and sustainable future. As a strategic investor, LDC seeks to collaborate with and invest in businesses whose sustainable goods, services, methods, and solutions have the potential to revolutionize food and agricultural production as well as increase the profitability, sustainability, and effectiveness of LDC’s operations.

MassChallenge Switzerland is facilitating meaningful connections between LDC and selected startups,
with the goal of finding breakthrough solutions to critical challenges in food and agricultural supply
chains, adding real value for customers and markets while protecting the environment and safeguarding
natural resources.
In line with these goals, the LDC Climate Resilience Prize will be awarded to the food and/or agriculture
startup with the biggest climate impact potential.

Benefits:

• One winner will receive a no-strings-attached, non-dilutive cash prize of CHF 100,000 at the
  MassChallenge Switzerland Awards attended by over 400 people. This prize is additional to
  any cash prizes that early-stage startups might win in the accelerator.
• Early-stage startups (<$2M capital raised and <$2M sales) will participate in MassChallenge
  Switzerland’s accelerator, helping startups across Europe grow their businesses, and
  annually accelerating 100+ early-stage startups.
• All startups will participate in workshops and receive resources & coaching to help quantify
  their climate resilience solution.
• An opportunity to connect and collaborate with investors looking to positively and
  sustainably impact food and agricultural value chains, including a direct connection to
  decision owners at LDC and, if relevant and desired by you and LDC, potential discussions
  about scaling your solution.
• Publicity at the final judging event in Lausanne, Switzerland, and through LDC Climate
  Resilience Prize press releases.

Eligibility:

They are looking for startups that:

• Have impactful products, technologies, processes, and solutions that can cont ribute
  to climate resilience in food and ag-tech, by decarbonizing the food value chain.
  Startups will be asked to quantify their solution’s impact in relation to CO2e
  removed/avoided over the next 10 years until 2034. For example: How many tons of CO2 will
  you avoid emitting, or sequester per ton of your product per annum, how many cubic
  meters of fresh water will you save per annum, how many tons of waste material will you
  prevent from being emitted each year, or how many tons of natural resources will you
  recover or prevent from being wasted each year.
• Have a viable idea. Startups must be able to demonstrate traction amongst those
  participating in their solution, as well as how their idea is financially sustainable. For
  example: data showing sales to consumers or manufacturers or farmers, or the size of their
  supply base (ie farmers); their business model.
• Have a scalable idea. Startups must be able to show how their solution scales and that
  their pricing is market competitive. Scaling could involve LDC, but this is optional. For
  example: reach millions of farmers, be sold to millions of consumers, be applied in
  manufacturing plants.
• Are from Pre-seed to Series C+. They encourage both early and late stage startups to apply.
  What’s important is the impact, viability and scalability of your idea and how it contributes to
  climate resilience in Food and Ag-tech.
• Are from any geography. However, as physical accelerator events are in Switzerland, so
  startups should ensure they are able to travel to Europe. The selection process will be
  carried out online.

Application:

• Apply and be accepted into the Sustainable Food, Sustainable Industry, or Climate Solutions
  track in the MassChallenge Switzerland startup accelerator. Relevant startups will
  automatically be entered into the competition.
• If you are a later-stage startup (> $2M Funding) and want to compete for the prize.
• Successful startups will be invited to participate in a physical event at MassChallenge
  Switzerland on June 29, participating in workshops and receiving resources/coaching to help
  them quantify their climate resilience solution.
• Startups who have successfully quantified their impact using MassChallenge’s guidance will
  pitch at a semi-final online, and a final in Lausanne to a jury to determine the winner.
• The winning startup will be announced on stage at MassChallenge Switzerland Awards on
  October 26.

Click here to apply