We’re thrilled to announce that Party Onbici has been selected as one of the Top 50 smart city startups in the 2024 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge — the world’s largest smart city startup accelerator.
What is AcceliCITY?
The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is a prestigious global competition run by Leading Cities, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing city resiliency and sustainability. Now in its sixth year, the program connects innovative startups with city governments, experts, and investors to address critical urban challenges.
The numbers speak for themselves:
| Metric | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Applications | 740+ |
| Countries | 70 |
| Top 100 Selected | 100 |
| Regional Finalists | 50 per hemisphere |
A Competitive Field
This year’s challenge saw over 740 entries from 70 countries — a 14% increase from the previous year. From this global pool of innovators, only 100 solutions were selected to advance, with 50 startups chosen from each hemisphere.
Being selected places Party Onbici among the world’s most promising smart city solutions, alongside companies tackling challenges in:
- Urban mobility and transport
- Climate resilience
- Public safety
- Sustainable infrastructure
- Digital inclusion
Why Party Onbici?
The AcceliCITY challenge focuses on solutions that tackle risk, equity, and sustainability challenges in urban environments. Our approach to cycling safety addresses all three:
Risk Reduction
By connecting cyclists heading the same direction, we create safety in numbers — reducing the risk of accidents and making cycling more approachable for the “interested but concerned” demographic.
Equity
Cycling is one of the most affordable and accessible forms of transport. By making it safer and more social, we’re helping more people access this sustainable transport option regardless of their background.
Sustainability
Every car trip replaced by a bike ride reduces emissions, congestion, and urban pollution. Group riding through Party Onbici makes cycling more attractive, accelerating the shift to sustainable transport.
SmartUp Week and Beyond
As a Top 50 startup, Party Onbici participated in SmartUp Week — a signature feature of the AcceliCITY program. During this intensive week, we were matched with one-on-one virtual mentoring sessions led by experts from the global smart and resilient city ecosystem.
These mentoring sessions covered:
- Business model refinement
- City pilot development
- Investment readiness
- Impact measurement
The AcceliCITY Impact
Being part of the AcceliCITY community means joining an impressive alumni network. According to Leading Cities:
- Alumni have raised over $1 billion in funding
- Created more than 2,000 jobs globally
- Filed over 225 patents
- Deployed solutions across cities worldwide
Winners of the Smart City Track can receive up to $150,000 in prize money to fund a city pilot project, along with ongoing publicity, mentoring, and access to exclusive resources.
What This Means for Our Community
This recognition validates what our community has been building together. It shows that:
- Community-based solutions work — connecting cyclists isn’t just a nice idea, it’s a recognised approach to urban resilience
- Cycling safety matters — governments and investors recognise the need for innovative approaches to get more people cycling
- Australia is innovating — homegrown solutions can compete on the global stage
Thank You
To our riders, supporters, and everyone who believes in making cycling safer and more social — this achievement belongs to you. Your participation, feedback, and advocacy have shaped Party Onbici into a solution recognised on the world stage.
Ready to be part of an award-winning community? Download the app and join your next group ride.