Tech for humanity: eight innovations shaping the future of humanitarian response
Meet the selected teams joining the Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator’s Innovation Weeks, where they will further develop their solutions to address the challenges faced by humanitarian actors.
By Sanjna Sudan
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them,” said the legendary scientist Albert Einstein. In the face of today’s growing crises, increasing in both scale and complexity, this call to think differently has never been more relevant.
Around the world, humanitarian actors are working tirelessly to improve the lives of those affected by conflict, climate shocks and displacement. Yet, as needs escalate, resources continue to dwindle. More than ever, innovative solutions are essential to help us do more with less.
To meet this challenge, the WFP Innovation Accelerator and the Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg launched the second cohort of the Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator (HIA), a platform designed to support technology-powered solutions that address pressing global challenges.
This year, we received an impressive 578 applications from 103 countries. After a rigorous selection process, eight exceptional teams have been invited to participate in the HIA’s Innovation Weeks this July. During this time, the finalists will work closely with experts to refine their business models and growth plans, strengthen their impact strategies and connect with the broader humanitarian ecosystem. After this, four selected ventures will then enter a sprint programme for a chance to receive financial, technical and methodological support.
In October, the selected teams will pitch their solutions to an audience of potential funders, government representatives and industry leaders during Humanitarian Days, a high-profile event in Luxembourg.
Meet the ventures shaping the future of humanitarian assistance:
Wayru
Wayru is a blockchain-based WiFi network providing low-cost, resilient internet in underserved and remote communities. It reduces reliance on traditional telecom infrastructure by using mesh networks and local nodes.
Millions of people in remote and humanitarian settings lack affordable internet access, limiting access to education, services and opportunity. Wayru addresses this challenge through a decentralized, blockchain-based network that leverages mesh technology, satellite or fiber connections and community-driven nodes to deliver internet access. Its innovative model relies on community-operated Hotspots, which provide connectivity and rewards to mid to small entrepreneurs, helping to keep costs low and enabling scalable internet access. The solution is highly adaptable, as its decentralized model can be deployed in diverse settings, including conflict zones, natural disaster areas and refugee camps.
Tarjimly
Tarjimly is an AI-powered app that connects refugees and aid workers with real-time volunteer translators, helping break language barriers during emergencies and enabling fast, personalized communication.
Language gaps create critical delays in accessing aid and services for displaced populations. Tarjimly offers an on-demand mobile platform that connects users with a global network of 60,000+ multilingual translators in under 90 seconds. With AI-enhanced tools, live chat, video and document translation, Tarjimly ensures language is never a barrier to humanitarian support, covering over 175 language pairs and accommodating specific preferences such as dialect or gender. The Tarjimly team partners with international NGOs, governments and educational institutions to integrate their services into their operations, further extending the reach and impact.
CLARA Water AG
CLARA is a solar-powered smart device that generates chlorine from salt to disinfect water on-site, providing safe drinking water through automated dosing and remote monitoring.
In regions like rural Ethiopia, vulnerable communities have minimal access to safely managed drinking water. Even treated water often gets contaminated during handling. CLARA offers a sustainable alternative with a decentralized, solar-powered unit that produces chlorine from salt and automates its safe distribution. Unlike centralized water systems or manual chlorination, CLARA is cost-effective, low-maintenance and designed for remote, fragile settings, helping prevent disease and build long-term water infrastructure resilience.
AAvance S.A.S
AAvance is a mobile-first digital wallet for financial aid, built for unbanked populations in Latin America. It streamlines humanitarian cash transfers with blockchain-backed transparency and real-time reporting.
While traditional humanitarian cash distribution can face challenges with speed, coordination, and transparency, AAvance offers a streamlined digital platform that allows agencies to onboard, verify, and transfer funds to beneficiaries within minutes. Designed for the unbanked, users can make mobile payments, save in groups, or use payment links via WhatsApp. Blockchain technology ensures traceability, while real-time dashboards give donors and implementers full visibility making aid delivery faster, fairer and more inclusive.
SAVE Score by Exuus Ltd
SAVE Score by Exuus Ltd is an AI-powered credit scoring tool that transforms savings group data into digital credit profiles, unlocking access to micro-loans for unbanked refugees and low-income communities.
In countries like Mozambique, adults and particularly women and youth, often face barriers to accessing formal financial systems such as banks. SAVE digitizes informal savings groups and uses AI to analyze savings behavior, group dynamics and repayment patterns to create real-time credit scores. These scores allow financial institutions to offer collateral-free loans tailored to community needs. Beyond credit, SAVE supports group savings, micro-insurance and transparent digital recordkeeping, making financial inclusion a reality for vulnerable populations.
Safe Pro AI
Safe Pro AI is a drone-powered AI software that detects and maps landmines to speed up humanitarian demining to enhance safety and accuracy in post-conflict zones.
Ukraine is facing the widespread presence of landmines across a quarter of its territory. This puts communities at risk. SpotlightAI by Safe Pro AI uses drone imagery and patented AI tools to detect and localize landmines with high precision. It supports both cloud-based and offline operations, integrates 3D mapping and vegetation analysis and is compatible with commercial drones. This makes Safe Pro AI the most scalable and cost-effective solution currently available for rapid, safe demining in conflict-affected areas.
KOBO Inc. (KoboToolbox.AI)
KOBO Inc is an AI-powered tools that simplify and accelerate humanitarian data collection. It transforms how frontline workers design, deploy and analyze surveys in crisis settings.
As humanitarian needs grow, many organizations continue to face challenges with manual and time-consuming data collection. KoboToolbox.AI bridges this gap with a suite of ethical, AI-driven tools, including form generation, translation and local customization to support faster and more effective responses. Built for low-connectivity, multilingual, and offline environments, it empowers responders to make faster, evidence-based decisions. Unlike commercial survey tools, KoboToolbox.AI is open-source and purpose-built for the humanitarian field.
CRISTA by Asian Institute of Technology
CRISTA is a digital platform that integrates vulnerability maps with real-time community reports, strengthening disaster response and infrastructure monitoring for local governments.
In Nepal and Laos, communities face frequent damage to critical infrastructure due to floods and landslides, but local authorities struggle with fragmented data related to affected communities and delayed responses. CRISTA offers a mobile app and decision support system that enables communities to report incidents and authorities to monitor infrastructure in near real-time. With features like hazard mapping, public alert tools and scalable architecture, CRISTA enhances coordination, response speed and service continuity in disaster-prone, resource-limited settings.
Following the Innovation Weeks, all eight teams will have the opportunity to submit their sprint proposals. Four of them will be selected to implement their sprint plans and will undergo a rigorous due diligence process. Once approved, the teams will be inducted into Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator’s 12-months sprint cohort and awarded funding of up to US$150,000.
Keep watching this space for more information about the programme!
The Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator Programme, a collaborative effort between the WFP Innovation Accelerator and the Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, seeks high-impact innovative solutions to address the pressing emergency and humanitarian challenges faced by vulnerable populations and humanitarian actors.
With a core focus on leveraging technology, this programme supports and nurtures solutions that can effectively tackle global challenges within the humanitarian sphere. Through a meticulous selection process, ventures and solution providers are chosen to receive comprehensive support including financial backing, technical expertise, and methodological guidance from the WFP Innovation Accelerator and its esteemed partners.
