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Explore the solutions selected through AcceliCITY for their innovation, readiness, and potential to deliver real-world impact.
For innovators, this page shows what success can look like. For cities, it demonstrates the types of solutions Leading Cities helps identify, prepare, and advance toward deployment.
Proof of What AcceliCITY Delivers
AcceliCITY winners are not chosen for innovation for the sake of innovation. They are selected for their potential to solve real challenges, operate within real-world constraints, and move toward implementation. This page highlights the kinds of solutions Leading Cities helps elevate, prepare, and connect to communities.
For Innovators
See the kinds of solutions that rise to the top, the markets they address, and the pathways winners have taken toward funding, visibility, and deployment.
For Cities
See examples of the types of solutions AcceliCITY identifies and helps prepare for real municipal relevance, partnership, and implementation.
Grand Prize Winners: The Resilience Challenge
Each year, one solution rises to the top of the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge not only for innovation, but for real-world readiness. Grand Prize winners receive non-dilutive funding and support tied to implementation, reflecting Leading Cities’ focus on preparing solutions that can move from promise to practice. Selected for their ability to strengthen infrastructure, reduce risk, and build long-term resilience, these companies represent what’s possible when bold ideas meet implementation.
In addition to the Grand Prize, specialty prizes recognize standout solutions across key resilience priorities. Together, these winners reflect the breadth of innovations that Leading Cities helps surface, assess, and advance. These special prizes highlight breakthrough innovation across key resilience themes and provide non-dilutive funding, strategic visibility, and access to targeted mentorship and industry expertise. While prize categories may evolve year to year, each is designed to accelerate real-world implementation and market traction.
QBE AcceliCITY Winners
2025 Winner
RCOAST
Data-Driven Coastal Resilience
RCOAST was awarded the 2025 $100,000 Grand Prize for advancing how coastal communities understand and manage erosion risk. Through high-resolution drone surveys and geospatial analytics, RCOAST equips municipalities with measurable insights into shoreline conditions and mitigation performance.
RCOAST is in the process of selecting a pilot site.
2025 Resilience Prizes
2024 Winner
Gravity Water
Resilient Water Infrastructure
Gravity Water was awarded the 2024 $100,000 Grand Prize for delivering scalable, low-cost clean water systems to communities facing water insecurity. By designing gravity-fed rainwater harvesting and filtration systems for schools and public facilities, Gravity Water strengthens local resilience while reducing long-term infrastructure and operating costs.
Gravity Water is in the process of selecting a pilot site.
2024 Additional Prizes
2023 Winner
itselectric
Equitable EV Charging Infrastructure
itselectric was awarded the 2023 $100,000 Grand Prize for transforming how cities deploy electric vehicle charging in dense urban neighborhoods. Through behind-the-meter Level 2 chargers that connect to existing building power, itselectric enables scalable, cost-effective charging without requiring utility upgrades or public capital investment, while generating shared revenue for participating private property owners.
itselectric chose Boston, MA to be the site of its deployment via AcceliCITY.
2023 Additional Prizes
QBE AcceliCITY
Proptech Prize
Intelligent AI
Intelligent AI provides real-time, location-based risk intelligence that helps cities better understand and respond to emerging threats. Using predictive analytics and layered geospatial data, the platform supports more informed planning, resilience, and decision-making.
2022 Winner
AutoMedi
Decentralized Plastic Circularity
AutoMedi was awarded the 2022 $100,000 Grand Prize for reimagining how communities manage plastic waste. Through its decentralized circular microeconomy model, AutoMedi converts more types of plastic than traditional councils accept into usable products within minutes, using additive manufacturing systems like Nano.
AutoMedi chose Surprise, Arizona to be the site of its deployment via AcceliCITY
2022 Additional Prizes
2021 Winner
Zymatic
Sustainable Water Treatment
Zymatic was awarded the 2021 $100,000 Grand Prize for advancing sustainable water treatment through bio-based technology that removes harmful chemicals from industrial wastewater. By using engineered biological processes, Zymatic enables cleaner water outputs while reducing environmental impact and chemical dependency in large-scale operations.
Zymatic chose AstraZeneca’s largest plant in Sweden as the site of its deployment via AcceliCITY.
2021 Additional Prizes
People's Choice
Award West Division
Full Cycle Bioplastics
Full Cycle Bioplastics is a biotechnology company that converts organic waste into Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a fully biodegradable and compostable plastic alternative, helping communities reduce landfill waste, lower emissions, and replace conventional plastics with a circular, sustainable material.
People's Choice
Award East Division
Full Cycle Bioplastics
Full Cycle Bioplastics is a biotechnology company that converts organic waste into Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a fully biodegradable and compostable plastic alternative, helping communities reduce landfill waste, lower emissions, and replace conventional plastics with a circular, sustainable material.
2020 Winner
Bioo
Regenerative Energy & Bioluminescent Innovation
Bioo was awarded the 2020 $100,000 Grand Prize for reimagining how urban green infrastructure can generate value. Through biological panels that produce clean energy from natural soil processes — and technology that turns living plants bioluminescent through natural, biocompatible solutions — Bioo creates new forms of sustainable lighting and energy within public spaces.
Bioo chose Hamburg, Germany to be the site of its deployment via AcceliCITY
2020 Additional Prizes
QBE AcceliCITY
City Resiliency Prize
Carbon Upcycling
Carbon Upcycling Technologies enables low-carbon cement through industrial circularity, transforming solid waste from industries like steel and mining into carbon-enhanced materials that permanently store CO₂ while creating a secure, local supply of sustainable blended cement products.
2019 Winner
Blacksands
Cyber Resilience for Critical Systems
Blacksands was awarded the 2019 $100,000 Grand Prize for advancing cybersecurity solutions designed to protect critical infrastructure and digital systems from evolving threats. By combining adaptive threat detection with automated response capabilities, Blacksands helps communities and organizations strengthen their digital resilience and operational continuity in the face of sophisticated cyber risks.
2019 Additional Prizes
QBE AcceliCITY
Smart Water Prize
Voda.AI
VODA.ai applies AI-driven risk modeling and leak detection to water and wastewater networks, helping utilities identify pipes most likely to fail, assess consequence of failure, monitor system health, and proactively prioritize rehabilitation before costly breaks occur.
2018 Winner
Solu
Incentivized Circular Economy Innovation
SOLU was awarded the 2018 $100,000 Grand Prize for reimagining how communities address plastic waste through decentralized, incentive-based collection systems. By equipping informal waste pickers with digital tools and compensation mechanisms, SOLU helped transform plastic recovery into an economically viable, community-driven model.
2018 Additional Prizes
Sabadell, Spain's City Visualization Smart Challenge
Sweden VR
Sweden VR is a global virtual and augmented reality platform focused on advancing the SDG goals through immersive education and innovation experiences, enabling communities and leaders to visualize complex challenges and accelerate sustainable development