QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge Winner

25 November 2024

QBE AcceliCITY Resilience - Humanitarian Track Challenge 2024 winner announced at Humanitech Summit 2024

Satellite analytics company WEO has been announced as the global winner of the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge Humanitarian Track 2024.

WEO’s platform is transforming how communities strengthen their resilience by combining advanced satellite technology with local action. Leveraging data from space, the power of artificial intelligence and local knowledge, WEO provides communities with the decision-making information they need to understand and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.

In 2025, WEO will pilot its innovative solution in partnership with the resilient community of Dargo, Victoria, and Australian Red Cross, with support from The Coca-Cola Foundation.

This collaborative effort builds on Dargo's commitment to co-design solutions that enhance resilience and share their expertise after enduring repeated and compounding disasters since 2009. Together, this pilot seeks to create scalable solutions that not only strengthen their community but also amplify the reach and impact of Australian Red Cross programs, offering a blueprint for communities across Australia and beyond.

The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge invited entrepreneurs and start-ups from around the world to present their innovative software solutions aimed at helping global communities to adapt to a changing world. The 2024 Humanitarian Track specifically welcomed applications from changemakers and innovators with the potential to address a significant real-world humanitarian problem.

The judging panel consisting of key members across our partner and program areas, including Australian Red Cross Humanitech, Australian Red Cross programs, QBE Foundation and the Global Disaster Preparedness Centre, decided on WEO as the winner of our 2024 Challenge.

Katy Southall, Head of Humanitech, Australian Red Cross, said, “We’re excited to launch a pilot with WEO and the Dargo community. WEO’s data-driven approach to resilience-building and risk planning will equip Dargo to build their own resilience and provide learning opportunities that will be invaluable for the wider Australian context. By combining responsible and ethical technology with community expertise, we can collaboratively drive resilience into the future.

Lauren Hicks, Head of Social Impact at QBE Insurance, said, “WEO’s innovative approach to combining satellite technology, artificial intelligence and local knowledge makes it a standout partner for addressing climate resilience. Its focus on empowering communities to adapt to climate challenges aligns perfectly with the QBE Foundation’s focus on creating strong, resilient, and inclusive communities. We are proud to support this pilot program in Dargo and are excited about the impact it could have for communities in Australia and beyond.”

Michael Lake, Founder and CEO of Leading Cities, said "Impactful partnerships like this demonstrate the transformative power of collaboration in facing global challenges. As climate-related disasters become more frequent, impacting over 55 million people annually, the WEO platform, combined with the expertise of Australian Red Cross and the support of QBE and Leading Cities, offers a tangible and scalable solution to build community resilience in Dargo and other communities like it around the world."

We look forward to seeing WEO work closely with the local Dargo community to provide tools to prepare and support for the impacts of climate adaptation and resilience in the area and expand further in the future.

It is hoped that the platform, developed by WEO and alongside Dargo, will become a knowledge store for the community, tracking in a central location all of its knowledge about the hazards that the community faces, the interventions that can be and have already been implemented, and information on how to strengthen community resilience.

An enormous thank you to all the innovative tech solutions and entrepreneurs that took part in the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge - Humanitarian Track throughout this year, and for the incredible initiatives that have been shared.

This work could not be made possible without the excellent collaboration across our global tri-partnership this year. Thank you to all at QBE Foundation, Leading Cities and Australian Red Cross for your expertise and insights to continue to support and build capabilities for communities in need.

It has been an inspiring process for all involved and we can’t wait to see all solutions build and continue their vision to address future humanitarian need.