The D-Tech Awards Finals on June 11 at Echelon Singapore 2025 was full of applause, insights, and smiles.
What is the D-Tech Awards?
The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards is a global competition created by the Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm of Prudential plc, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and e27.
The Awards aim to find, fund, and support innovative technology solutions that protect and save lives before, during, and after natural disasters. With a strategic focus on “Climate & Health” and “Smart Resilience,” the D-Tech Awards 2025 seeks to address real-world challenges by empowering innovators to build more resilient communities in the face of increasing climate-related disasters.
As Diana Guzman, Chair of Prudence Foundation and Chief Sustainability Officer, emphasized during the award ceremony at the D-Tech Awards 2025 Finals:
“At Prudence Foundation, we focus on understanding how we can build disaster resilience in Asia and Africa. Our role is to shine a spotlight and elevate those innovators who are really bringing meaningful solutions to the world. But we don’t have unlimited funds. So, my call to action today for those here, and also for those watching online, is that these guys and all innovators out there need all of our support.”
D-Tech Awards 2025 Finals: Finalists and Highlights
The 2025 Finals took place on June 11 at Echelon Singapore 2025, bringing together seven outstanding startups from around the world to pitch their life-saving innovations. The finalists represented a diverse range of solutions for disaster preparedness, response, and resilience. Among the finalists were:
- Skye Air Mobility (India)
- Nafas – Air Quality Solutions (Indonesia)
- Mat Zero (UK)
- Yayasan Peta Bencana [Disaster Map Foundation] (Indonesia)
- Digital and Spatial Technologies for Anticipatory Action (DSTAA, Nepal)
- YoujiVest Technology (Hong Kong)
- Robotics Cats (Hong Kong)
The Finals featured live pitches, expert judging, and networking with global leaders in disaster resilience. The esteemed experts in the Judging Panel are:
– Hervé Gazeau, Head of Strategic Partnerships for Asia Pacific, IFRC
– Alp Altun, Chief Global Technology Product Officer, Prudential plc
– Marco Toscano-Rivalta, Chief of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, UNDRR
– Wilson Ng, Senior Open Innovation Manager, HTX
– Hussein Sulaiman, Investment Principal, JDI Group
Hervé GAZEAU, Head of Strategic Partnerships at IFRC, highlighted the importance of inclusive innovation:
“We must focus on the most vulnerable who are impacted by disasters and crises. Disasters do not know borders but they are also discriminating.”
Hervé noted that the maturity of the technology, scalability across borders, and a sustainable business model were key criteria in selecting the winner.
Robotics Cats at the D-Tech Awards 2025
Robotics Cats, led by founder Andre Cheung, was selected as a finalist for its AI-powered wildfire detection platform, LookOut. The solution leverages existing camera infrastructure—public, private, or even mobile phones—to provide early wildfire detection and real-time alerts, helping communities and responders act quickly to prevent disaster escalation.
During the competition, we showcased our global impact, with deployments in 11 countries and proven results in rapid wildfire detection and response. We actively engaged in training, mentorship, and networking throughout the D-Tech Awards program, refining our pitch and building connections with fellow innovators and partners. Our participation underscored the growing role of scalable, accessible technology in disaster resilience and the importance of cross-sector collaboration to protect vulnerable communities.
By reaching the D-Tech Awards 2025 Finals, Robotics Cats demonstrated not only the maturity and scalability of our technology but also our commitment to building a safer, more resilient world through innovation.
“Let’s give us another round of applause!”
