Verizon Community Disaster Resilience Innovation Accelerator (United States)

The program focuses on seven critical areas: AI-driven analytics that fuse diverse sensor data for actionable insights and real-time disaster response, communication infrastructure that ensures resilient and rapidly deployable networks for first responders and communities, drones and autonomous systems for assessment, logistics, and recovery operations, power generation solutions that maintain connectivity during grid outages, satellites for coverage and coordination when terrestrial networks are compromised, smart sensors for early warning and infrastructure monitoring, and weather prediction platforms that improve forecasting accuracy and response planning.

Participants in the accelerator can expect to build meaningful connections with a driven cohort of founders, expanding their professional network through structured interactions that foster collaboration beyond the program. Technical and industry experts provide guidance to refine solutions, sharpen strategies, and advance participants toward the final pitch. Selected startups have the opportunity to showcase their technologies to Verizon leaders, technical experts, and key industry stakeholders in a live presentation that highlights their innovations.

Up to eight startups may receive $50,000 in non-dilutive funding, and an additional $50,000 in prototyping grants will be awarded to up to two startups to conduct testing at third-party labs. Eligible applicants must be U.S. owned and operated and present solutions that address important unsolved problems in crisis communications, demonstrate technological innovation particularly leveraging Verizon’s 5G capabilities, and have a validated product ready for piloting or scaling. Proposals are evaluated based on the problem and impact, technological innovation, and the business case, ensuring alignment between the proposed solution, the founders’ capabilities, and anticipated market traction.

For more information, visit MassChallenge.