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Real Solutions. Real Impact. Ready to Scale.
Disasters are getting more intense, more frequent and more complex – but communities are adapting in real time, often without the tools they need.
The QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge, run by Australian Red Cross Humanitech, backs real-world solutions that help people prepare for, respond to and recover from climate-driven disasters.
We’re calling on global startups and entrepreneurs to bring forward ethical, scalable, tech-driven solutions that support disaster resilience – especially in communities facing the greatest risks. This is a global challenge designed to meet local needs – and it’s grounded in community insight, not just innovation hype.
About
The QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge
The QBE AcceliCITY Humanitarian Challenge is built for early-stage solutions that can help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-driven disasters. It focuses on innovations that are grounded in real needs, shaped by practical realities, and designed to create meaningful impact where risk is greatest.
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This challenge exists for entrepreneurs building solutions that are not just technically promising, but genuinely useful in difficult, high-stakes conditions. It is designed to surface ideas that can strengthen local resilience, support recovery with dignity, and help communities act earlier, faster, and more effectively when disruption hits.
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More than a startup competition, the Humanitarian Challenge is a pathway for solutions that need to be tested against real needs, shaped by frontline insight, and built for practical impact in the places that need them most.
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What We're Looking For
We want early-stage innovations that can:
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Make climate risk information accessible and locally relevant
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Streamline access to recovery support in dignified, user-friendly ways
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Surface community needs and activate local capacity during emergencies.
Solutions don’t need to be perfect – just grounded in real needs, backed by a capable team and ready to grow.
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Why Join This Challenge?
Pitch your idea – then co-create it with the people it’s built for.
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Selected teams don’t just win – they build, test and scale where it matters most:
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Accelerate with purpose through the AcceliCITY program and Humanitech Innovation Curriculum
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Strengthen your solution with expert mentoring and feedback from frontline communities
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Pilot in real-world settings with support from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
Whether you win or not, you’ll gain exposure to real users, mentors who understand humanitarian complexity, and a network of problem-solvers building for long-term impact.
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A Different Kind of Innovation Challenge
This is not your standard startup competition. It’s a partnership between:
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Leading Cities – International reach and experience scaling civic innovation
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Australian Red Cross – Humanitarian insight and deep community ties
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QBE Foundation – Global networks and risk expertise
Together, we’re creating a pathway to help early-stage solutions move fast, stay grounded and scale with impact.
These capabilities rarely sit in the same room. This collaboration is uniquely placed to help startups overcome the real-world barriers to scale – from compliance and procurement to community trust and systems integration.
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Backed By Results
Since 2018, the QBE AcceliCITY partnership has helped startups from over 70 countries raise more than $3.3B in capital.
In 2024, the Humanitarian Challenge attracted 128 global applicants. Winning startup WEO piloted its digital twin mapping technology in Dargo, Victoria – a town repeatedly hit by fires and floods – and is now exploring opportunities to scale across other high-risk communities.
This model – co-designed, locally piloted, globally supported – is already turning bold ideas into systems-shifting solutions.
