Communities across a mountain valley connected by arcs of light at dawn

An international initiative in development

Technology can
build peace.

We are developing an international programme to find, validate and support civilian technologies for peacebuilding, humanitarian action and recovery. Connecting entrepreneurs with the people and institutions that can put their solutions to work.

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Our mission01

From promising technology to practical peacebuilding.

Technology can deepen division and insecurity. It can also help people anticipate violence, coordinate humanitarian assistance, sustain dialogue and rebuild after conflict. The difference depends on how it is developed, assessed and used.

Entrepreneurs often struggle to reach the practitioners who can test and adopt their solutions. Peacebuilding organisations and public institutions need better ways to discover relevant innovation beyond their existing networks.

The PeaceTech Startup Prize is being designed to connect these communities, combining independent evaluation with practitioner expertise, venture support and access to partners and capital.

01

Civilian purpose

Technology serving peace, human dignity and societal resilience. Military and offensive weapons technologies fall outside our scope.

02

Practitioner validation

Peacebuilding and humanitarian expertise involved in assessing real needs, relevance and potential harm.

03

Responsible deployment

Human rights, conflict sensitivity and independent judgement built into the route from selection to use.

Our programme experience

Building on the European Startup Prize for Mobility

The initiative draws on the experience of running an international programme that combines startup scouting, independent evaluation, acceleration, institutional partnerships and investor matchmaking. We are adapting that operating model to PeaceTech, with the specialist peacebuilding, humanitarian and research expertise the field requires.

Explore the European Startup Prize for Mobility
What we are looking for02

Six pathways
to peace.

Our scope covers the full peace and conflict cycle, from reducing the risk of violence to helping societies recover afterwards.

01
◌

Prevent violence

Early warning, conflict analysis, mediation and tools that reduce escalation.

02
◇

Protect civilians

Safety, documentation, secure communication and risk-reduction solutions.

03
◎

Strengthen resilience

Social cohesion, trusted information and community preparedness.

04
✦

Respond to crises

Humanitarian access, needs mapping, logistics and rapid response.

05
⌁

Build peace

Dialogue, reconciliation, inclusive governance and civic participation.

06
△

Recover & rebuild

Post-conflict recovery, reconstruction and the restoration of essential systems.

The proposed programme03

A programme
from discovery
to deployment.

Each edition would combine six connected elements, helping ventures move towards pilots, institutional adoption, research collaboration and investment.

  1. 01
    International scouting

    Discover

    An open call and targeted outreach to startups, university spin-offs and emerging ventures around the world.

  2. 02
    Independent evaluation

    Assess

    Multidisciplinary expert review combining technology, entrepreneurship, research, peacebuilding and investment perspectives.

  3. 03
    Practitioner validation

    Validate

    Engagement with humanitarian and peacebuilding practitioners to test relevance, identify risks and assess the conditions for responsible use.

  4. 04
    Venture development

    Accelerate

    Targeted mentoring, acceleration and connections to investors and funding networks suited to each venture’s needs.

  5. 05
    Targeted matchmaking

    Connect

    Individual introductions to potential users, public institutions, research partners and funders to explore pilots, adoption and investment.

  6. 06
    International gathering

    Convene

    A gathering and award ceremony bringing selected entrepreneurs together with programme partners for recognition, working meetings and collaboration.

Developing the first edition

Our current work is to secure founding partnerships and resources, define the scope and selection criteria, and bring together the evaluation and practitioner networks. Scouting, selection and support for the first cohort would follow. The timetable and host arrangements will be announced once confirmed.

Selection lens04

Independent expertise.
Practical relevance.

The evaluation framework is being developed around these questions, with multidisciplinary review and safeguards for independence.

01

Impact

Does the solution address a real and urgent peace or human-security need?

02

Innovation

Does it unlock an approach that was not previously possible or practical?

03

Readiness

Is there a capable team, working technology and a viable route to deployment?

04

Responsibility

Are safety, rights, inclusion and unintended consequences built into the approach?

Leadership and advisers05

The people
behind the Prize.

Experience in international startup programmes, peacebuilding and European institutions, complemented by investment, philanthropy and venture development.

Dan Sobovitz

Initiative lead

Dan Sobovitz

Programme leadership and institutional partnerships

Brussels

Personal profile

Managing Director of the European Startup Prize for Mobility and former adviser to European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. Dan combines hands-on experience running an international startup programme with work in European institutions and longstanding engagement in peacebuilding and dialogue.

Founding board

Brian Abrams

PeaceTech investment

Brian Abrams

Boston

Founder and Managing Partner
B Ventures Group

Brings specialised investment expertise in technologies relevant to peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Personal profile
Nic Knapp

Venture building and acceleration

Nic Knapp

Munich

Managing Director
TUM Venture Labs Mobility

Brings experience in venture creation, technology acceleration and the development of scalable startups.

Personal profile
Jaron Bernstein

Philanthropy and international partnerships

Jaron Bernstein

Zurich

Entrepreneur and organisational adviser

Brings networks across philanthropy, foundations and international civil society, particularly in Switzerland.

Personal profile

Advisers

Daniel Gerlach

Peacebuilding and mediation

Daniel Gerlach

Berlin

Director General
Candid Foundation

Experience in dialogue, mediation, applied research and international policy in conflict-affected environments.

Personal profile
Professor Kalypso Nicolaïdis

Global affairs and PeaceTech

Prof. Kalypso Nicolaïdis

Oxford & Florence

Chair in Global Affairs
European University Institute

Brings expertise in international relations, European governance and PeaceTech, including work with the EUI Global PeaceTech Hub.

Personal website

Affiliations describe individual experience. Institutional partnerships will be announced separately.

Join the founding community

Help shape the future
of peace technology.

We are seeking founding partners to help develop and resource the first edition. Foundations can support scouting, independent assessment, practitioner validation and venture development. Operational partners can contribute expertise and pathways to responsible deployment.

The first edition is in development. You can introduce a venture, offer expertise or explore a partnership with us now.

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