Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems

Name

Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems

Legal name

CREWS Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems

Website

https://crews-initiative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Risk Management and Early Warning Systems

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Preparedness, Risk Reduction & Early Warning (DRR) (BPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Early warning systems
• Climate risk management
• Disaster risk reduction
• Multi-hazard forecasting
• Climate services

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Trust Fund Contributions: CREWS receives financial contributions from donor countries (Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom) through the CREWS Trust Fund managed by the World Bank as Trustee. Contributions are allocated through the Steering Committee for early warning projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CREWS is a multilateral funding initiative that provides grant financing and technical assistance to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to strengthen their multi-hazard early warning systems. The initiative operates through four pillars: risk knowledge, monitoring and warning services, dissemination and communication, and response capability, delivered via multi-year country/regional projects, an Accelerated Support Window for rapid deployment, and GCF scaling-up frameworks.

Product overview

CREWS (Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems) is an international funding initiative that supports Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to strengthen their early warning systems. The organization operates through multiple product lines: Multi-Year Country and Regional Projects providing long-term capacity building; the Accelerated Support Window for rapid assistance; GCF-CREWS Scaling-Up Framework Projects for large-scale financing; and the EW4All Multi-Stakeholder Accelerator for the global Early Warnings for All initiative. CREWS works with Implementing Partners (WMO, World Bank/GFDRR, UNDRR, ITU) to deliver technical assistance across four pillars of early warning: risk knowledge, monitoring and warning services, dissemination and communication, and response capability. The portfolio includes country projects in Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Caribbean, regional initiatives covering East Africa, West Africa, Pacific SIDS, and Caribbean, and specialized products like Impact-Based Forecasting services, Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) implementation, and national EW4All Roadmaps. As of 2025, CREWS has 31 ongoing projects covering 80% of LDCs and SIDS, with 396+ million people in 45 countries having access to improved forecasts and early warning services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Year Country and Regional Projects Long-term grant-funded initiatives supporting national and regional early warning system development across LDCs and SIDS, providing sustained technical assistance, capacity building, and infrastructure investment over multi-year timeframes.
• Accelerated Support Window

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ million people have access to improved forecasts and warning services developed with CREWS support
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2026ITU was accredited as CREWS' Implementing Partner in June 2026, bringing expertise in telecommunications and digital technologies for warning dissemination and communication systems.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWMO hosts the CREWS Secretariat and is a core implementing partner providing technical expertise in meteorology, hydrology, and climate services. WMO has implemented CREWS projects worth US$ 67 million since 2017, supporting services in more than 70 countries.
• Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGFDRR, administered by the World Bank, is a key implementing partner supporting disaster risk reduction and early warning system development in vulnerable countries.
• UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUNDRR is an implementing partner bringing expertise in disaster risk reduction, Sendai Framework implementation, and institutionalizing impact-based early warning systems across Africa.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFRC is in the final stage of being accredited to CREWS. With 191 National Society members and 17 million community volunteers, IFRC brings crucial expertise in community engagement and early action for humanitarian response.
• Group on Earth ObservationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides expertise on earth observations and data systems supporting climate and weather monitoring for early warning.
• ResurgenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in technology innovation discussions on emerging technologies for early warning and climate services.
• Caribbean Meteorological OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional institution partner in Caribbean early warning scaling-up project, ensuring integration with regional systems and WMO standards.
• UN Environment Programme (UNEP)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUNEP is developing GCF-SAP CREWS Scaling Up Framework proposal for The Gambia in collaboration with national and international partners.
• Indian Ocean CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization whose member states (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles) benefit from South West Indian Ocean early warning project.
• Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-donor partnership co-chaired by CREWS for advancing early action approaches, with Gerard Howe (UK FCDO) serving as co-chair.
• InsuResilience PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership for climate and disaster risk finance and insurance solutions, of which CREWS is a partner.
• UK Met OfficeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in global workshop on Impact-Based Forecast and Warning Services competency framework development, contributing to capacity building.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO): WMO is both CREWS' host and core implementing partner and a broader incumbent in the meteorological and early warning space. Its global mandate on weather, climate, and water services overlaps heavily with CREWS' technical mission in LDCs/SIDS.
• UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF): UN humanitarian financing mechanism that is more established and broader in scope than CREWS, funding rapid humanitarian response globally. Comparable in governance (UN-managed trust fund) and donor base, though its focus is post-disaster response rather than pre-disaster warning.
• UNDP Climate Promise: UNDP-led global initiative supporting developing countries on climate action, including adaptation and early warning. Operates more broadly than CREWS but overlaps in country-level climate resilience delivery to LDCs/SIDS.

Direct peers

• Green Climate Fund (GCF): Direct peer as a multilateral climate finance fund. GCF is a core financial partner of CREWS (GCF-CREWS Scaling-Up Framework) and serves the same LDC/SIDS client base with overlapping climate adaptation and early warning project pipelines.
• Global Environment Facility (GEF): Direct peer as a multilateral trust fund financing developing-country projects on climate, biodiversity, and land. GEF and CREWS share donor country contributors and project channels in LDCs and SIDS.
• InsuResilience Investment Fund: Multi-donor partnership (CREWS is a documented partner) providing climate and disaster risk finance and insurance solutions in vulnerable countries. Comparable in delivering risk-financing tools to LDCs and SIDS, with overlapping donor set.
• Climate Investment Funds (CIF): Direct peer multilateral climate fund managed by World Bank, with comparable donor and project architecture. CIF channels large-scale concessional climate finance to developing countries, overlapping with CREWS' climate resilience mission.
• Adaptation Fund: Direct peer multilateral climate finance vehicle that funds adaptation projects in developing countries, with overlapping focus on LDCs/SIDS and shared donor base with CREWS. Competes for similar country-driven climate resilience funding.
• Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR): Core implementing partner of CREWS and a World Bank-managed trust fund. Operates in the same disaster risk reduction space in LDCs and SIDS, making it both peer and partner in delivering CREWS-funded activities.

Emerging players

• Start Network: Network of humanitarian NGOs operating pooled funds for early action and emergency response. Comparable to CREWS in providing anticipatory/early-action financing but with a non-governmental, member-based structure rather than a state-led one.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWTvq24YdDJskdHoN0de8xA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61581593597102
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crews-initiative
• Instagraminstagram.com/crews_initiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems