Banco Santander, together with Oxentia Foundation, is launching the Santander X Global Challenge | Food for the Future, a new global challenge aimed at startups and scaleups that present solutions to address food scarcity, access to healthy and sustainable food or the implementation of innovative technologies that improve efficiency in the food manufacturing, packaging and distribution process.
The initiative, aligned with the second United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end hunger, is aimed at start-ups from 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay) that present an innovative solution around the food industry and a technological base that can generate a lasting economic and social impact. The call will be open until 10 November.
After the selection process, project evaluation and validation, a jury of international experts will choose the six winning projects, which will receive 120,000 euros in prizes: 30,000 euros for the three winning startups (10,000 euros each) and 90,000 euros for the three best scaleups (30,000 euros each). They will also have access to Santander X 100, the prime global community that supports the most outstanding startups and scaleups from the different Santander X programmes and challenges, allowing them to network and connecting them with the resources they need to grow: advice and training, capital, customers, talent, and other valuable resources.
The finalists will also be given the opportunity to present their proposals to Fintech Station, the Santander team that promotes open innovation in the bank and articulates it through the entrepreneurship area of Santander Universities.
“The food industry is currently undergoing a profound transformation and, therefore, we must support all initiatives and innovation that can help accelerate this change, because to a large extent, the future must be sustainable.”
Blanca Sagastume
deputy global director of Santander Universities
“Helping entrepreneurs address global challenges, provide innovative solutions and promote the adoption of new and disruptive technologies is at the heart of our work. We are delighted to be partnering with Banco Santander to launch this global challenge. It is a topic of great importance, not only aligned with our global responsibility and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, but part of our everyday lives; something that each of us can relate to.”