Disaster Tech Lab
Disaster Tech Lab is a volunteer-driven nonprofit that deploys global response teams to provide rapid emergency communications, medical, GIS, incident command, and logistics services to disaster-affected communities, NGOs, and government agencies free of charge, funded by donations and in-kind equipment partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersTipperary, Ireland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Disaster Tech Lab does
Disaster Tech Lab is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 in Ireland, now operating with primary offices in Sittard-Geleen (Netherlands, EU headquarters) and San Antonio, Texas (USA hub), plus an Australian branch established in 2015. The organization deploys teams of skilled volunteers in response to natural and humanitarian disasters worldwide, providing rapid-response communications infrastructure along with emergency medical response, incident command coordination, GIS and disaster mapping, and logistical support services. Its core technical capability is the integration of diverse communications technologies — including Starlink, VSAT, Ka-/Ku-/C-band satellite, VHF, UHF, microwave, WiFi mesh, TVWS, cellular, and terrestrial services — often paired with self-built solar power systems, to restore connectivity in disaster zones where terrestrial infrastructure has failed. The organization has executed 72+ deployments across multiple continents since founding, including major responses to Typhoon Haiyan (Philippines), the Nepal earthquake, the European refugee crisis, Hurricane Sandy, the Ukraine conflict, Hurricane Harvey, the Texas 2026 floods, the Cebu earthquake, the Morocco earthquake, and Hurricane Melissa.
The business model is donation- and volunteer-funded rather than commercial: the organization accepts monetary donations, equipment donations, goods, and auctionable services; receives in-kind equipment from corporate partners (Cambium Networks, Aruba Networks, Globalstar, Peli Products, Anker, Grandstream, Airlink Flight, EuropaSat Italy, Monday.com); and deploys skilled volunteer labor in networking, satellite communications, IT, medical, logistics, and GIS disciplines. Services are delivered free of charge to disaster-affected communities, NGOs (Team Rubicon, Operation Mobilisation, Do Your Part NGO), and government agencies (Italian Red Cross, Amatrice City Hall, ANPAS Camp) through partnerships established before crises occur. The organization is currently managing three concurrent deployments (Hurricane Melissa, Philippines Quake, Texas Flooding) and has begun transitioning from purely acute response toward longer-term community resilience partnerships, as exemplified by its year-long engagement in Texas following the July 2026 floods.
Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: deployments are triggered by disaster occurrence and coordinated through pre-built relationships with local organizations, community groups, faith-based networks, and volunteer organizers. Marketing and outreach rely on the website (disastertechlab.org), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, email newsletters, content/blog, the Natural Disasters Expo, and online donation processing via Donorbox. Leadership comprises CEO Evert Bopp (founder; former telecom investment director; recipient of the Da Vinci Award from Humanity Road, a FEMA Certificate of Recognition, and the 2016 SSPI Better Satellite Global Humanitarian Award) and EU board members Siri Emilie Oldervik and Samantha Wolhuter.
Disaster Tech Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Disaster Tech Lab
- Legal name
- Disaster Tech Lab
- Website
- https://disastertechlab.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Disaster Tech Lab is a volunteer-driven nonprofit that deploys global response teams to provide rapid emergency communications, medical, GIS, incident command, and logistics services to disaster-affected communities, NGOs, and government agencies free of charge, funded by donations and in-kind equipment partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Disaster Tech Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Emergency Communications / Disaster Response Services
- NAICS
- Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emergency Telecommunications & Connectivity (ETC) (BPADADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA), Disaster Response, Rescue & Tactical EMS (DMAT/USAR/SWAT/HAZMAT Medical) (HLAFANAH), Evacuation, Shelter, Mass Care & Family Reunification (HLAJAGAG)
Keywords
Where Disaster Tech Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tipperary
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Disaster Tech Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Disaster Tech Lab operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends entirely on donations and volunteer contributions. They accept monetary donations, equipment donations, goods, and services for auction to raise funds. Donations fund equipment purchases, deployment costs, and operational expenses.
- Volunteer Contributions: The organization deploys volunteer teams with skills in IT/networking, satellite communications, logistics, and field response. Volunteers provide their expertise without compensation, enabling the organization to operate with minimal overhead.
- In-Kind Equipment Donations: Corporate partners provide equipment donations including WiFi networking gear (Cambium Networks), satellite equipment, GPS trackers, solar panels, and other field equipment that enables deployments.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Disaster Tech Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Disaster Tech Lab is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that deploys volunteer teams to provide rapid-response emergency communications infrastructure (satellite, WiFi mesh, radio), emergency medical response, incident command coordination, GIS mapping, and logistical support to communities and partner organizations affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Emergency Communications
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,000+ people directly assisted in single Texas deployment through connectivity, tools, shelter, hygiene support, and logistics
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Disaster Tech Lab
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Disaster Tech Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Disaster Tech Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Do Your Part NGOcoreNGO running refugee camp locations in Greece; partnered with DTL for IT networking training program at Oinofyta Camp.
- Globe TelecomcorePhilippines telecommunications provider that supplied Globe Tattoo USB 3G sticks and cellular coverage for backhaul links in Camp Arapal deployments.
- Operation MobilisationcoreLarge NGO operating in Nepal; their compound south of Kathmandu used as hub for multiple NGOs requiring resilient communications.
- Cambium NetworkscoreProvides WiFi networking equipment including ePMP devices, access points, and wireless hotspots. Major equipment partner for deployments across multiple disaster zones.
- GlobalstarcoreProvides SPOT GPS trackers for tracking team locations during deployments.
- Aruba Networks ( HPE Aruba)coreProvides WiFi controllers and access points for indoor network installations in disaster zones.
- Airlink FlightcoreAviation partner supporting logistics and transportation for disaster response.
- GrandstreamcoreProvides VoIP equipment including IP PBX systems and desk phones for disaster zone communications.
- EuropaSat ItalycoreSatellite backhaul provider for Italy deployments, supporting internet connectivity in Amatrice earthquake response.
- Team RubiconcoreVeteran disaster response organization that has partnered with DTL on multiple deployments including Welcome Home Project for veterans.
- United MegacarecorePartner in Uvalde flood relief distribution, providing distribution support and community outreach to affected neighborhoods.
- Eagles Flight Advocacy & OutreachcorePartner providing neighborhood outreach and coordination in Uvalde, Texas flood response.
- YaipakminorDonated Redwing work boots for flood relief supplies, with boots helping 10 women start new jobs at a San Antonio warehouse.
- Salvation Army San AntoniominorPartner shelter that received Redwing boots helping 10 women start jobs at a local warehouse.
- Wolverine Global ResponsecoreLogistical support partner providing global networks of contacts for transporting supplies and equipment to disaster zones.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Disaster Tech Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT): HOT is a US-headquartered nonprofit that applies open-source mapping and volunteer communities to disaster preparedness and response. It is directly comparable to Disaster Tech Lab's GIS & Disaster Mapping service line, sharing the volunteer-driven model, disaster focus, and emphasis on geospatial data for humanitarian coordination.
- NetHope: NetHope is a US-based consortium of nearly 60 leading humanitarian NGOs that leverages technology (connectivity, data, AI) to improve disaster response and development outcomes. While structurally a coordinator rather than field deployer, NetHope's mission, NGO partner base, and disaster-focused ICT mandate overlap closely with Disaster Tech Lab's work on communications infrastructure for humanitarian actors.
- Humanity Road: Humanity Road is a small US-based nonprofit that operates a Disaster Response Hotline and curates real-time situational awareness information during disasters. It shares DTL's small-scale, volunteer-driven humanitarian-tech profile and is directly comparable as a peer humanitarian-tech organization recognized within the same award ecosystem (Da Vinci Award).
- Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF): Founded in 1988 and headquartered in France, Télécoms Sans Frontières is the most direct peer to Disaster Tech Lab — a humanitarian NGO that deploys emergency telecommunications (satellite, internet, phones) to disaster zones and refugee camps worldwide. Both organizations share a near-identical mission, volunteer-driven deployment model, and technology stack (satellite + WiFi + solar), making them the closest functional comparator in the space.
Broad incumbents
- Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon is a large US-based veteran-led disaster response organization operating across multiple disaster verticals. It is both an existing DTL deployment partner and a broad incumbent that overlaps with DTL's incident command and field deployment capabilities, but operates at materially larger scale and without DTL's specialization in emergency communications technology.
- Cisco Crisis Response: Cisco's Crisis Response program deploys networking equipment, connectivity, and technical volunteers to disaster zones globally as part of the company's social impact mandate. It is a broad incumbent comparable to DTL on the technology integration axis (mesh networks, WiFi, satellite backhaul), but operating within a much larger corporate portfolio rather than as a focused nonprofit.
- Microsoft Philanthropies Disaster Response: Microsoft's Disaster Response program provides cloud, AI, and communications technology to humanitarian responders, including AI-powered mapping and chatbot tools. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with DTL's GIS mapping and incident command services as part of a much larger corporate philanthropy portfolio, and serves as a potential partner or competitive grant-funded actor.
Emerging players
- CrisisCleanup: CrisisCleanup is an open-source platform that coordinates volunteer cleanup and recovery efforts after disasters, with active deployments across multiple US states and internationally. It is an emerging player in disaster coordination technology that overlaps with DTL's Incident Command Services and GIS Mapping offerings, though its focus skews toward post-event cleanup logistics rather than acute connectivity.
Others
- Direct Relief: Direct Relief is a large US-based humanitarian aid nonprofit focused on medical material assistance and emergency health logistics. It is not a direct peer in emergency communications but is an ecosystem adjacent organization that operates in many of the same disaster deployments as DTL and is occasionally a co-responder.
- Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC): The ETC is the UN-led global coordination mechanism for emergency telecommunications in humanitarian response, hosted by WFP and active in 30+ countries. It is not a peer in the competitive sense but a key ecosystem counterpart — DTL operates in the same ETC-mandated space of emergency comms, and ETC coordination frameworks shape where DTL can plug in as an implementing partner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Disaster Tech Lab social profiles
Digital presenceDisaster Tech Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Disaster Tech Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Disaster Tech Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Disaster Tech Lab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Disaster Tech Lab
What does Disaster Tech Lab do?
Disaster Tech Lab is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that deploys volunteer teams to provide rapid-response emergency communications infrastructure (satellite, WiFi mesh, radio), emergency medical response, incident command coordination, GIS mapping, and logistical support to communities and partner organizations affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide.
Is Disaster Tech Lab a public or private company?
Disaster Tech Lab is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Disaster Tech Lab founded?
Disaster Tech Lab was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Disaster Tech Lab based?
Disaster Tech Lab is headquartered in Tipperary, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Disaster Tech Lab make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are volunteer Contributions and in-Kind Equipment Donations.
Who are Disaster Tech Lab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), NetHope, Humanity Road and Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF). Broad incumbents are Team Rubicon, Cisco Crisis Response and Microsoft Philanthropies Disaster Response. CrisisCleanup is listed as an emerging player. Others are Direct Relief and Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC).
Does Disaster Tech Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Disaster Tech Lab.
What industry is Disaster Tech Lab in?
Disaster Tech Lab's product category is Emergency Communications / Disaster Response Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADADAG, Emergency Telecommunications & Connectivity (ETC), with a secondary code of BPADADAA, Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR). Its NAICS code is 624230 and its SIC code is 7373.