ICTworks

Technology is advancing rapidly, but at a pace that risks widening gaps between those who benefit and those who don’t.

Where solutions are available, they are often inaccessible either by design or intent because the needs of diverse groups of people are not considered, and licensing and business models exclude a vast network of innovators that can adapt them to benefit disadvantaged and marginalised groups.

The need is clear:

• 31% of women worldwide are not in education, employment, or training.
• 740 million women in developing economies remain unbanked,
• Over 21 million adolescent girls in low- and middle-income countries become pregnant each year.
• Only 2% of global medical research funding is allocated to pregnancy, childbirth, and female reproductive health.

$100,000 for Technology Solutions for Women

The UNICEF Venture Fund will identify solutions that go beyond healthcare—ones that empower women and girls holistically. This means addressing their specific needs in ways that recognize the circumstances that affect them disproportionately or differently while tackling the social and economic drivers that shape their participation, agency, and well-being.

UNICEF Venture Fund seeks to test, validate, and shape technologies in three key areas:

1. To improve health outcomes for women and girls i.e 
   1. Digital health solutions for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
   2. AI-driven or data-powered platforms for maternal, reproductive, and adolescent health
   3. On-demand referral services for healthcare and culturally relevant information
2. Address unique challenges faced by women and girls  i.e  
   1. Closing the gender data gap to drive inclusive decision-making
   2. Improving accessibility of platforms for underserved communities, including persons with disabilities
   3. Designing solutions that address gender-specific challenges in different cultural and economic contexts
3. Empower women and girls socially and economically i.e.  
   1. Expanding financial inclusion and access to economic opportunities
   2. Enabling safe access to education, training, and skill-building
   3. Supporting agency, decision-making power, and workforce participation

The Fund is offering up to US$100,000 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.

Apply Now! Deadline is May 8, 2025

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