The sixth annual QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge awarded Gravity Water the $100,000 prize for their solution addressing water security and climate resilience through rainwater harvesting

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, hosted by Leading Cities in partnership with QBE Insurance Group awarded the City Solution of the Year honor to Gravity Water, an international organization revolutionizing water security and climate resilience for vulnerable communities with innovative rainwater harvesting technologies.

"Congratulations to Gravity Water for their efforts in developing a cutting-edge solution that provides areas at risk of natural disasters around the world with access to safe drinking water," said QBE North America CEO Julie Wood. "At QBE, we are committed to helping promote resilience and sustainability, and this year's winner is an excellent example of how we can help empower communities to build resilience to climate challenges."

The $100,000 award was presented following a one-week intensive boot camp and panel evaluation from representatives of the World Economic Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, RA Capital, and the Leading Cities board of directors. In addition to the cash prize, Gravity Water also will be featured in an upcoming AcceliGOV program, where cities from around the world compete for a pre-paid pilot of QBE AcceliCITY's 2024 winning innovation.

"Access to safe water is not just a necessity; it is a fundamental right that millions are denied daily," said Mike Lake, President and CEO of Leading Cities. "Currently, nearly 2 billion people–almost a quarter of the global population—are forced to use contaminated water sources, putting lives at risk every single day. Addressing this issue with sustainable solutions is critical to breaking this cycle and protecting our future generations."

Gravity Water was selected as the City Solution of the Year from a pool of more than 740 entrepreneurs from 70 countries who competed in the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge.

Danny Wright, founder and executive director of Gravity Water said, "We need solutions to water security that are sustainable and can reach global scale in years, not decades. The pilot grant from the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge gives us the opportunity to continue to help communities at risk of natural disasters to safely collect and manage rainwater, building resilience to flooding, drought, and other climate challenges. Our rainwater harvesting technologies will provide communities with access to a self-sufficient and long-term source of safe drinking water."

In addition to the Primary Smart City challenge, a specialized track was available; The Proptech Track targets loss mitigation solutions at the intersection of commercial property insurance and sustainability. Gravity Water was also named the 2024 Proptech Track winner.

QBE also awarded two $25,000 People's Choice awards to winners selected by employees in two global regions: Reef Arches and Gravity Water.

The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge has quickly become one of the largest programs of its kind in the world and has demonstrated tremendous impact. AcceliCITY alumni have already raised more than $1 billion, with many having since deployed their solutions in cities to improve the equity, resilience and safety of our urban centers.

At its core, QBE AcceliCITY lowers the cost of innovation for local governments as well as startups and corporations by streamlining the innovation and implementation cycles for smart and resilient city solutions. The QBE AcceliCITY program connects startup's smart solutions directly with users and provides the proper channels and know-how to deploy in cities.

About QBE North America
QBE North America is a global insurance leader helping customers solve unique risks, so they can stay focused on their future. Part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, QBE North America reported Gross Written Premiums in 2023 of $7.6 billion. QBE Insurance Group's results can be found at qbe.com. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 26 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business primarily through its insurance company subsidiaries. The actual terms and conditions of any insurance coverage are subject to the language of the policies as issued. Additional information can be found at qbe.com/us or follow QBE North America on LinkedIn.

About Leading Cities
Leading Cities connects cities across the globe with innovations and insight to drive resiliency, equity, and sustainability. This is achieved by cultivating a global network of forward thinkers from the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors as well as delivering advanced research, emerging trends and vetting solutions that will address urban challenges. The AcceliCITY program aims to de-risk innovation for cities by sourcing and vetting solutions that will answer their most pressing challenges. Additional information can be found at or by following Leading Cities on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

About the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge
QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, a signature program, leverages the Leading Cities network of forward-thinkers in the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors to advance innovation in local governments. The program lowers the cost and risk of innovation for startups as well as cities and corporations by streamlining the innovation and sales cycles for Smart City solutions.

SOURCE QBE North America