WFP Innovation aims to accelerate high impact innovations to achieve Zero Hunger across the globe. Based in Munich, Germany, but sourcing ideas from across the world, the accelerator supports entrepreneurs working on eradicating hunger using human-centered design and a lean start-up approach. The Accelerator helps to identify and scale-up high-impact and transformative innovations both from within and outside WFP, inviting and collaborating with the private sector, civil society and WFP entrepreneurs to jointly tackle humanitarian and development challenges. Projects are piloted at an early stage to ensure wide impact and maximise cost effectiveness, as they argue that the way towards Zero Hunger is not necessarily in building grand plans, but in identifying and testing solutions in an agile way. The accelerator provides financial support and mentorship to take proven solutions to scale.

Bernhard Kowatsch is the Head of the Innovation Accelerator at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Previously, Bernhard built up WFP’s Business Innovation team and worked as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He has also co-founded WFP’s ShareTheMeal smartphone crowdfunding app, which enables users to "share their meal" with hungry children with just a tap. Since the launch in 2015, over 500,000 users worldwide have provided more than 7 million meals. Bernhard holds a Masters degree in International Management, International Business Administration and Business Administration from HEC School of Management and Vienna University of Economics and Business.