Australian Red Cross is thrilled to announce a significant milestone in its mission to leverage cutting-edge technology to address critical humanitarian and social issues. Two innovative startups from the Humanitech Lab’s pilot phase, Kara Technologies and AirSeed, have been selected as recipients of scale-up funding, with support from founding partner Telstra Foundation.
In a joint effort to drive positive change and align with the core work of Australian Red Cross in inclusion, preparedness, resilience, and recovery, the organisations have been awarded a grant of $500,000 to enable them to expand their groundbreaking projects and champion innovation in Australian communities.
Kara Technologies, known for its dedication to inclusivity and accessibility-focused innovation, is set to make a significant impact with the Australian Deaf Community.
Head of Humanitech Katy Southall said the startup has received funding to increase access to sign language in preparedness and emergency situations using “digital human” avatars and motion capture technology.
“After piloting this groundbreaking technology alongside Deaf Communities and Australian Red Cross’ Emergency Services team, the funds will bolster efforts to provide Emergency preparedness activities in fast and on-demand Auslan (Australian Sign Language) to ensure the Deaf Community can access crucial support when it matters most,” said Ms Southall.
AirSeed is an initiative that harnesses drone and bio-technology to regenerate land at scale across Australia. With the funding and the support of Australian Red Cross’ Emergency Services team, AirSeed is sowing the seeds of change through its game-changing approach to revegetate land in flood-affected communities.
“This initiative enhances both the climate and psychosocial resilience of communities facing environmental challenges, as the organisation looks to shape the future resilience of disaster affected communities through rapid revegetation in Australia and around the globe.”
Ms Southall reiterated that the Humanitech Lab investments underscore Australian Red Cross’ unwavering commitment to using innovation in addressing the most pressing challenges faced by Australian communities.
“Through organisations like Kara Technologies and AirSeed, Australian Red Cross is using the Humanitech lab to support the use of technology to make a meaningful impact,” said Ms Southall.
