Wateroam, from Singapore took home the grand prize of US$50,000 while LivingWaters Systems and Kinetic Analysis Corporation, both from the United States, emerged as the first and second runner-ups respectively winning US$30,000 and US$20,000. They were selected from a record 110 applications from around the world and competed with three more finalists in the final round, which took place at the Echelon Asia Summit in Singapore on June 15. The top six finalists participated in a live pitch during the summit in front of a judging panel and will each receive US$10,000 of AWS Credits.
Over the past decade, 83 per cent of all disasters were caused by extreme weather and climate-related events such as floods, storms, and heatwaves, directly affecting 1.7 billion people[1].
With the increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, communities are more vulnerable than before. Technology innovation has an essential role to play in understanding and solving the risks confronting people globally.
Marc Fancy, Executive Director of the Prudence Foundation, said, "The application of disaster technology can save lives before, during and after natural disaster events. Through the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards, our goal is to provide a platform to encourage entrepreneurship and investment to drive scale, sustainability and speed in D-Tech innovation and application."
The applications showcased a wide range of solutions ranging from early warning systems robotics, communications and connectivity, shelters, water supply and medical aid, to post disaster community support. They were evaluated on a number of criteria including problem-solution fit, business model, potential impact or market size, and organization profile.
Wateroam's mission is to provide vulnerable communities better access to safe and clean drinking water. In disaster-hit regions, their portable water filters remove harmful pathogens to create safe drinking water in seconds.
Jaron Lim, Sales Director from Wateroam, said, "Being part of the D-Tech Awards and emerging as the winner was a great experience and a rewarding testament to the hard work we have put in over the years. As we move towards smarter technology and increased accountability of our impact, the funding that we have received will really support our research and development efforts in this area and also allow us to scale our impact to more areas affected by disasters."
Juja Kim, Deputy Regional Director for Asia Pacific, IFRC, said, "IFRC is honoured to be part of this initiative by Prudence Foundation. In this digital age, it is paramount that we utilize the strengths and creativity of individuals and organizations in coming up with solutions to address the challenges brought by disasters, both natural and man-made in nature. We drive the same in the IFRC by innovating our approaches to prepare and respond better, meeting the varying needs of the affected population in every emergency."
Samuel Harris, Public Sector Startup Lead, Asia Pacific and Japan at AWS, said, "Startups are answering the clarion call for disaster aid with their launch of innovative solutions to help communities respond to natural disaster events. This year's winners have inspired us with their passion in this field and AWS shares the same vision to make a difference to disaster recovery and mitigation efforts. We are committed to helping this year's winners through the AWS Activate program which seeks to provide startups with access to our tools, business and technical support and AWS credits, to build and scale their disaster recovery solutions on AWS to reach and serve communities that might need aid, including rural and remote areas."
Thaddeus Koh, Co-founder of 27, said, "e27 is proud to be a strategic partner of this important initiative. The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards has successfully highlighted the immense potential of utilizing technology for good and sparked numerous meaningful discussions on disaster tech. Leveraging our innovative tech ecosystem platform, we are delighted to witness the tremendous support garnered for the program from various stakeholders in our community. We firmly believe that recognizing the problem at hand is just the beginning, and maintaining momentum is the key; by acknowledging the importance of these issues and generating momentum for potential solutions, we can drive substantial change and make a lasting difference."
For more information about the 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards, visit https://safesteps.com/d-tech/about-dtech
APPENDIX
Winners of the 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards
| Company | Cash Prizes from Prudence Foundation | Product Credits from AWS |
| Winner: Wateroam | US$50,000 | Up to US$ 10,000 each in AWS cloud credits. |
| 1st Runner-up: LivingWaters Systems LLC | US$30,000 | |
| 2nd Runner-up: Kinetic Analysis Corporation | US$20,000 | |
| Consolation x3: Castomize Technologies H3Dynamics QUICKBLOCK Ltd. | US$12,500 each |
Finalists of the 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards
1. Castomize Technologies (Singapore)
New med-tech startup that uses proprietary advanced manufacturing methods to create orthopaedic casts that are lighter, stronger, and more comfortable.
2. Doh Eain Ltd. (Myanmar/Singapore)
Preserves heritage, improves public spaces and organises activities that connect people with places, employing a user-centered, participatory approach. In doing this they aim to inspire and enable people to participate in re-shaping their city while retaining cultural heritage.
3. H3 dynamics (France)
Enables Advanced Air Mobility with a three-pronged approach that starts with digitization, leading to solutions around autonomous operations, enhances flight autonomy with hydrogen propulsion.
4. Kacific Broadband Satellites Ltd. (Singapore)
Next-generation broadband satellite operator providing access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband services across Asia and the Pacific. Its services foster greater internet usage, fuel economic growth, and improve the delivery of critical services.
5. Kinetic Analysis Corporation (USA)
Uses complex numerical modeling and advanced statistical analysis to simulate and predict the interactions between hazards and development, and creates information to support the planning process, enabling decision makers to strike an appropriate balance in this complex arena.
6. Komunidad Global (Singapore)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company focusing on weather and environmental intelligence information services
7. LivingWaters Systems LLC (USA)
Its simple and versatile rainwater harvesting units capture, filter, and store a renewable supply of clean water for consumers right at their doorsteps.
8. QUICKBLOCK Ltd. (Scotland)
QuickBlock is a flat-packed, interlocking building system made from 100% recycled plastic. They are on a mission to provide a sustainable building solution to solve a variety of problems, reducing waste and contributing to a circular economy.
9. SI Analytics (Republic of Korea)
AI-based satellite data analytics solution company.
10. Wateroam (Singapore)
A water innovation enterprise that develops portable water filters to provide safe drinking water to communities in rural and disaster-hit regions.
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About the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards
The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards looks to find, fund and support technology solutions which protects and saves lives before, during or after natural disaster events. The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards were created out of the belief that technological innovation has a significant role to play in improving disaster preparedness, recovery and resilience. This need is especially magnified in Asia Pacific where half of the world's natural disaster events occur.
Now in its third edition, the Awards look to continue the work in catalysing a network of support, raising awareness of the sector, and helping the remarkable companies that operate in this space grow and scale.
The 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards are created by Prudence Foundation and supported by humanitarian partner: the IFRC, technology partner: AWS, and strategic partner: e27.
About Prudence Foundation
Prudence Foundation is the community investment arm of Prudential plc in Asia and Africa. Its mission is to create a better future for communities by making them safer and more resilient to life's risks. The Foundation runs regional programmes as well as local programmes in partnership with NGOs, governments and the private sector in order to maximise the impact of its efforts. Prudence Foundation leverages Prudential's long term mindset and geographical scale to make communities safer, more secure and more resilient. The Foundation is a Hong Kong registered charitable entity.
For more information please visit: www.prudencefoundation.com
About IFRC
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network, comprising 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives, build community resilience, strengthen localization and promote dignity around the world.
For more information, please visit: Homepage | IFRC and twitter.com/IFRCAsiaPacific
About e27
Founded in 2007, e27 has a strong mandate to give all entrepreneurs a winning chance to succeed; providing them with relevant tools and resources to build and scale their companies in Asia's tech ecosystem. e27 provides a go-to platform for connections, insights, funding, and more. Everything you would need to build a billion-dollar company.
For more information, please visit: https://e27.co/
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