The UNICEF Venture Fund is calling for applications from start-ups developing cutting edge tech solutions improving access to quality health care and services, and ensuring socio-economic participation of women and girls.?
?The Fund is offering up to US$100K in equity-free funding to early-stage, for-profit startups leveraging frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and blockchain for social impact.?
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Equity-Free Funding Opportunity
Aim and Benefits of Equity-Free Funding Opportunity
In this context, the UNICEF Venture Fund seeks to test, validate, and shape technologies that can be accelerated to radically improve the lives of children, and their communities.?
- Work in low-resource environments?(e.g., low connectivity, limited smartphone access)?
- Prioritize inclusivity, efficiency, and personalization?for women and girls, and persons with disabilities?
- Are available in multiple languages, including less-common and low-resource languages?
- Use unbiased, representative data?and actively mitigate discrimination?
- Ensure data privacy, security, and user control?over personal information?
- Enable engagement in the design, management, ownership and maintenance?of the solution?
Requirements for Equity-Free Funding Opportunity Qualification
- Applications are open to start-ups in low- and middle-income economies developing Open Source technology that improves health outcomes, economic participation, or access to essential services for women and girls.
- Women-led startups and young founders (under the age of 35) are strongly encouraged to apply.?
The UNICEF venture fund is seeking?early-stage, for-profit startups?that use?frontier technologies?in three key areas:?
1: To improve health outcomes for women and girls i.e?
- Digital health solutions for?prevention, diagnosis, and treatment?
- AI-driven or data-powered platforms for?maternal, reproductive, and adolescent health?
- On-demand referral services for?access to healthcare and culturally relevant information?
2: Address unique challenges faced by women and girls? i.e??
- Closing the gender data gap?to drive inclusive decision-making?
- Improving accessibility?of platforms for underserved communities, including persons with disabilities?
- Designing solutions that address gender-specific challenges?in different cultural and economic contexts?
3: Empower women and girls socially and economically i.e.??
Supporting?agency, decision-making power, and workforce participation?
Expanding?financial inclusion?and access to economic opportunities?
Enabling?safe access to education, training, and skill-building?
Application Deadline
May 8, 2025How to Apply
For more details, visit UNICEF program webpage