Needslist

NeedsList is a Durham, North Carolina–based crisis response platform founded in 2016, offering a community-centered marketplace that matches real-time needs from nonprofits and local aid groups with offers of support from businesses and individuals. The software enables disaster relief organizations to publish urgent needs—such as supplies or services—which corporate partners and donors can fulfill quickly, reducing waste and increasing delivery efficiency. By integrating real-time tracking of in-kind contributions and volunteer resources, NeedsList enhances transparency and coordination across humanitarian efforts.

Over the years, the platform has empowered multiple humanitarian responses—for example, facilitating distribution during Hurricane Dorian—and has facilitated the fulfillment of millions of dollars in needs worldwide. It secured early-stage support through seed funding and accelerator grants, raising approximately \$1 million in 2019 from investors such as Amplio Ventures and Omidyar Network, and later was acquired in 2024 by Armillaria.

Keywords: humanitarian tech, crisis response software, real-time needs matching, nonprofit marketplace, Durham startup, disaster relief, seed funding, platform acquisition