BOSTON, Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2020 QBE
AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, hosted by Leading Cities in
partnership with QBE North America, concluded today with the City
Solution of the Year awarded to the green electricity startup
Bioo.
Driven by their dedication to resiliency in communities, QBE
North America and Leading Cities joined forces to identify and
propel some of the world's most promising startups addressing a
multitude of challenges facing cities everywhere. The 2020 QBE
AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge included a four-day intensive boot
camp and panel evaluation from representatives of the World
Economic Forum, United Nations, Wilson
Towers Watson, PVBLIC Foundation and QBE North America.
The startup selected as champion, Bioo, has developed a unique
way of generating electricity from plants that doesn't damage them
and is 100% renewable. The technology has the potential to be
utilized in a multitude of functions and across industries. In
agriculture, they are developing the first 100% sustainable sensor
powered by the land, and eliminating the pollution created by
chemical batteries, as well as the cost of replacement. Also
underway is the Bioo Panel, a vegetal panel that generates and
supplies energy from nature to light up parks and gardens. In
the future, Bioo seeks to use its technology as an energy source
comparable to solar, hydropower or wind energy.
"At the heart of our QBE culture is taking care of people and
fostering more resilient and sustainable communities. This
charitable sponsorship is no different and we're pleased to partner
with Leading Cities to bring it to life," said QBE North America
CEO Todd Jones. "Congratulations
Bioo! We look forward to seeing how you advance this innovative
technology to benefit both cities and local communities."
Bioo was one of eleven finalists representing the world's
foremost urban technology startups from among hundreds that applied
from 37 countries. The finalists presented their pitches to a
six-person panel made up of Kari
Eik, the Leader of the UN's United for Smart and Sustainable
Cities U4SSC Implementation Program; Jeff
Merritt of the World Economic Forum; Sergio Fernandez de Cordova representing both
the PVBLIC Foundation and P3 SmartCity; Paula Pagniez of Willis
Towers Watson; Truett Tate,
Chairman of the QBE North America Board; and Isaac Lax, Head of the QBE Digital Innovation
Lab.
After a 5-month vetting process, a 2-month curriculum and a
virtual Boot Camp, QBE and Leading Cities announced the City
Solution of the Year in a one-hour production featuring the stories
and highlights of the 2020 QBE AcceliCITY finalists. The champion
startup receives a $100,000 prize and
will be the feature of the upcoming AcceliGOV program, where cities
from around the world compete to win a pre-paid pilot program of
this globally sourced, expert-vetted, award winning solution.
Wrapping up its third year, AcceliCITY has quickly become one of
the largest programs of its kind in the world and has demonstrated
tremendous impact. AcceliCITY alumni have already raised in excess
of $130 million, with the program's
first champion securing a successful sale of the business and
cities gaining access to innovative solutions from around the
world.
"The success of this program is generated from the creativity
and passion of entrepreneurs around the world who are focusing
their talents on tackling some of the greatest challenges and
threats to humanity," said Michael
Lake, President and CEO of Leading Cities. "From energy
production and ending human trafficking to clean air and drone
infrastructure, these solutions are extending the boundaries of our
imagination and redefining the quality of life in urban
centers."
At its core, QBE AcceliCITY lowers the cost of innovation for
startups as well as cities 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 business users and provides the proper
channels and know-how to deploy in cities.
About the Finalists
Bioo (Spain): Electricity from nature.
Developing a unique way of generating electricity from plants'
photosynthesis, without damaging them.
Dynamhex (USA): Dynamhex is software that helps
cities and companies target climate action with measurable
results.
Breeze Technologies
(Germany): Breeze Technologies
is a technology leader for air quality sensors, data and
analytics.
Carbon Upcycling (Canada): Carbon Upcycling Technologies was
formed to use the pollution of today to build the materials of
tomorrow by converting CO2 gas into solid products.
Circuit (USA): A free, all-electric transportation
system working to reduce carbon emissions and urban traffic.
Collective Liberty
(USA): Collective Liberty gets
actionable intelligence to law enforcement, equipping them with
curated data to arrest & convict human traffickers.
EVA (Portugal): EVA develops drone
infrastructure for urban areas to make the future of drone
applications in our cities more operational, secure and
scalable.
Lazarillo (Chile): An intelligent platform that helps
public and private institutions make their digital and physical
services more accessible for citizens with disabilities.
Oxygeni (Poland): An air filtration system used
with street lighting infrastructure to improve urban air
quality.
WeavAir (Canada): Proactive solution that prevents
the spread of contamination and infection, ensuring comprehensive
regulation compliance, while reducing operation costs.
ZaaK (Germany): Stopping the depletion of
natural sand by upcycling industrial waste by-products into Smart
Sand while improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
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
LeadingCities.org or by following Leading Cities on Twitter,
LinkedIn, and Facebook.
About QBE
QBE North America is global insurance leader focused on
helping customers solve unique risks, so they can focus on what
matters the most. Part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, QBE North
America reported Gross Written Premiums in 2019 of $4.6 billion. QBE Insurance Group's 2019 results
can be found at www.qbe.com. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 27
countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance
market. The North America
division, headquartered in New
York, conducts business through its property and casualty
insurance subsidiaries. The actual terms and coverage for all lines
of business are subject to the language of the policies as issued.
QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and
"A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found
at www.qbe.com/us, or follow QBE North America
on Twitter.
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