Bondi wins UN FAO’s World Food Forum “Innovator of the Year”

The WFF Startup Innovation Awards recognises startups from around the world with the greatest potential to have a positive impact in transforming agri-food systems across four categories: Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life.

The inaugural WFF Startup Innovation Awards were delivered via a strategic partnership with the Extreme Tech Challenge, the world’s largest startup competition for entrepreneurs addressing global challenges, and included 12 finalists from around the globe, selected from over 4000 applicants.

The startup finalists pitched their solutions and were asked tough questions about feasibility and scalability from a panel of judges, chaired by FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol and FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero. The panel also included esteemed leaders, innovators and investors including Michiel Bakker (Vice President of Global Workplace Services Programs); Khalid Bomba (FAO Chief Innovation Officer); Iride Ceccacci (Head of Agribusiness Advisory at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development); Nicole Shanahan (Founder and President of Bia-Echo Foundation); Young Sohn (Chairman of the Board at Harman International, Founding Managing Partner at Walden Catalyst and Co-Founder of XTC); and Bill Tai (angel investor, Partner Emeritus at CRV and Co-Founder of XTC).

In naming Bondi Innovator of the Year and winner of the Better Environment category, Máximo Torero, the FAO Chief Economist recognised the potential of Bondi’s technology “for leveraging solar energy and water to sequester and valorize CO2”.

As acknowledged by Dr James Brown in his acceptance speech; “We are honored to be chosen as the winners of this competition. We are really excited as we sit on the precipice of a new century where we can use biology to right some of the past wrongs and build a better future for everyone.”