Coastal Measures Takes Second Place in the 2026 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge

CUMULUS, the company's AI-driven coastal and ocean data platform, recognized at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona among a global field of 960+ applicants

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coastal Measures, the company behind CUMULUS, an AI-driven platform that standardizes coastal and ocean environmental data, has received the Distinguished Resilience Solution Award in the 2026 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge. The award was presented at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, where Coastal Measures competed on the innovation stage as one of five finalists selected from more than 960 applicants across 77 countries.

The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, run by Leading Cities in partnership with QBE Insurance, is a six-month global accelerator for startups whose solutions strengthen community resilience, reduce urban risk and advance sustainability. The 2026 Challenge carried a $175,000 prize pool, including a $100,000 grand prize for a city pilot project. Alimentary Systems took the top prize, with Coastal Measures in second. Fellow finalists Treeva and ArtifexAI also presented on the innovation stage.

"We're thrilled to receive this award," said Josh Humberston, Founder & CEO, Coastal Measures. "Supporting resilience decision-making has been at the core of what we're doing with CUMULUS since the start, and it is inspiring to see a global appreciation for data informed resilience decisions."

CUMULUS brings fragmented coastal and ocean environmental data into a single, standardized foundation that users can trust and act on. Insurers, port operators, engineers, aquaculture businesses and public-sector agencies use it to understand exposure, plan infrastructure and make faster, better-informed resilience decisions as coastal conditions change.

"We want to congratulate Alimentary Systems on taking the grand prize, and Treeva and ArtifexAI for joining us on the innovation stage," Humberston added. "Thank you to Smart City Expo World Congress for hosting this event, and to Leading Cities for bringing us all together for the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge."

Smart City Expo World Congress, held annually in Barcelona, is one of the world's leading gatherings on urban innovation, bringing together city leaders, companies and researchers working on the future of cities.

About Coastal Measures

Coastal Measures is building CUMULUS, an AI-driven platform that standardizes coastal and ocean environmental data so the people responsible for protecting coastlines, infrastructure and communities can make confident, data-driven decisions. CUMULUS serves insurers, port operators, engineers, aquaculture operators and public-sector users. Learn more at https://www.coastalmeasures.com/.

About the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge

The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is a Leading Cities initiative sponsored by QBE Insurance that connects entrepreneurs worldwide with communities to develop and scale smart-city solutions for resilience, risk mitigation, equity and sustainability.