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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
