Up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding and 12 months of technical mentorship are available to companies building technology for the health, wellbeing, safety, and rights of women and girls. UNICEF Femtech Ventures is recruiting its second annual cohort.
Overview
UNICEF Femtech Ventures is a five-year initiative of the UNICEF Venture Fund supporting locally developed frontier-technology solutions in emerging markets. The current call is looking for companies using technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, or data science.
The programme is particularly interested in solutions that improve access to healthcare, reproductive health information and services, mental wellbeing, safety, and protection for women and girls. UNICEF says safety-by-design, data privacy, consent, and protection from user risk are central to the investment model.
Benefits
- Funding: Selected companies can receive up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding.
- Mentorship: Companies receive 12 months of technical mentorship.
- Network Access: Selected teams gain access to UNICEF’s global network, including relationships with governments.
- Scale Support: The programme is designed to help locally developed solutions strengthen their technology, safeguards, and pathway to scale.
Eligibility
- Registration: The company should be registered in a UNICEF programme country.
- Product Stage: Applicants should have a functional prototype.
- Technology: The solution should use frontier technologies such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, or data science.
- Open Source: Applicants must be committed to open-source licensing and principles.
- Focus: The solution should address the health, wellbeing, reproductive health, mental wellbeing, safety, or related needs of women and girls.
- Founder Profile: Women-led companies and founders under 35 are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
- Deadline: Applications close on November 4, 2026.
- Review the Call: Confirm that the company, product stage, technology, and open-source approach meet UNICEF’s published requirements.
- Prepare Evidence: Explain the working prototype, intended users, technology approach, safeguarding measures, and pathway to scale.
- Submit: Use the official UNICEF Femtech Ventures application route linked from the programme page.
