As climate threats intensify and disasters grow more complex, the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards 2025, an initiative by the Prudence Foundation to spotlight life-saving technologies that save lives before, during, and after disaster events, featured two challenge tracks: 1) Climate & Health and 2) Smart Resilience. From AI-powered early warnings to real-time mapping, the Awards highlight solutions that protect lives and livelihoods. Now in its fourth edition, the 2025 Awards added a dedicated Climate & Health track to reflect not only the urgency for climate adaptation response underscored in the WHO’s COP29 Special Report, but also the Foundation’s commitment to elevating innovations that build long-term resilience in vulnerable communities across Asia and Africa.

Read about our Finalists: Top 7 Finalists Announced for SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards at Echelon 2025 – Prudential plc

Seven Finalists Showcased at Echelon 2025 Singapore

The finals of this year’s Awards took place on 11 June at Echelon 2025 in Singapore, where Prudence Foundation had a booth to showcase the seven Finalists competing for top prizes of the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards. This gave them the opportunity to present their disaster resilience solutions to a diverse audience of tech innovators, investors, and ecosystem builders attending Asia’s leading startup event hosted by e27.

Read about our Finalists: Top 7 Finalists Announced for SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards at Echelon 2025 – Prudential plc

Supporting Solutions That Meet Real Needs

The Climate & Health track highlighted technologies that improve access to healthcare in disaster zones, reduce exposure to poor air quality, and provide warmth and shelter in displacement settings. The winning solution, Skye Air Mobility (India), uses autonomous drones to deliver medical supplies in remote areas. Other finalists included Mat Zero (the UK), whose solar-heated mats are already in use in refugee camps, and Nafas (Indonesia), which helps organisations monitor and improve indoor air quality.

The Smart Resilience track focused on tools that help communities respond faster and more effectively to disasters. Peta Bencana (Indonesia), the winner, provides real-time disaster mapping based on citizen reports and is integrated into Indonesia’s national disaster response system. Other finalists included DASTAA (Nepal), a solution that equips communities with anticipatory action planning tools enabling local governments to prepare for and respond to a range of climate-related hazards, YoujiVest (Hong Kong), which helps financial institutions assess climate-related risks that enables data-driven decisions for sustainable investing and proactive risk management in the face of climate change, and Robotics Cats (Hong Kong), a solution that provides a fully automated AI wildfire detection system that delivers real-time alerts and GIS-based insights to help responders act quickly and prevent fires from spreading.

A Platform for Practical Collaboration

Not just a competition, the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards are designed to accelerate real-world impact by identifying and supporting technology solutions for disaster resilience. Finalists compete for prize funding while also engaging with NGOs, governments, and funders to test and scale their innovations. Many of these technologies are already deployed — from conservation zones to urban centers — demonstrating their relevance and readiness.

The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards spotlight technology solutions that are already making a difference in disaster resilience. Finalists compete for prize monies sponsored by Prudence Foundation, while pitching NGOs, governments, funders, and investors to test and scale their innovations. This year’s focus on climate and health reflects the growing urgency to address overlapping risks — from extreme weather to public health threats —and supports scalable solutions that protect vulnerable communities.

Missed the 2025 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards 2025 Finals? Watch the highlights here: https://youtu.be/G-v7kyub_rA?si=ugMAUsB1WMcSK7rN

Looking Ahead

The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards are part of a broader effort by Prudence Foundation to support disaster preparedness and response across Asia and Africa. In strategic partnerships with UNDRR, IFRC, AWS, AVPN, MRANTI, and e27, the Foundation is working to ensure that resilience is a reality for communities, today and tomorrow.

To learn more or get involved, visit the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards website.

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