UNICEF Venture Fund: up to USD 100,000 for startups building femtech solutions for women and girls, apply by 4 November

The UNICEF Venture Fund has announced the second call for applications under its Femtech Ventures portfolio, providing equity-free seed funding of up to USD 100,000 for early- and growth-stage companies. The initiative targets technology-driven solutions designed to enhance the health, wellbeing, and sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women in emerging markets.

Selected ventures will also gain access to 12 months of tailored technical mentorship and UNICEF’s global network, including strategic connections with government partners to accelerate scale. The deadline for submitting applications for this funding cycle is 4 November 2026.

This opportunity is intended for private for-profit entities registered in UNICEF programme countries, including Ukraine, that are actively developing functional prototypes built on frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, or blockchain.

What is funded

The grant call finances frontier technology solutions targeting challenges across three primary pillars: healthcare access, informed reproductive health, and mental wellbeing and safety. Applications must feature technologies such as generative or agentic AI, machine learning, blockchain, or data science, particularly those adaptable to low-resource or emergency environments.

Under the healthcare access pillar, support is provided for tools such as point-of-care diagnostics with automated data interpretation, affordable screening tools for conditions like anaemia or thyroid function, continuity of care platforms, and demand forecasting systems for essential supplies. The second pillar supports solutions improving reproductive health, including AI-driven platforms delivering counselling in underserved languages, frontline worker case management tools, and enhanced screening applications for conditions such as HPV.

The third pillar covers solutions addressing mental wellbeing and safety for girls and women. Eligible projects must demonstrate locally grounded design, viable technical execution, and readiness to integrate safety-by-design standards into their core architecture.

Who can apply

Eligibility is strictly restricted to private, for-profit entities registered in a UNICEF programme country, which includes Ukraine. Non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and individual founders are not eligible to apply for this programme.

Applicants must already possess a working, functional prototype of their solution rather than just an untested concept. The fund actively prioritizes and encourages applications submitted by women-led startups and young founders under the age of 35.

Participating entities must operate within emerging markets and demonstrate that their solutions are developed close to the communities experiencing the targeted challenges, ensuring high local relevance and contextual adaptation.

Conditions and requirements

A primary condition for funding is a firm commitment to open-source principles. Selected enterprises must agree to open-source their technology and solutions under recognized open-source licensing models.

Selected companies must adhere to safety-by-design requirements throughout their product lifecycle. This framework demands that applicants rigorously evaluate and integrate user risk controls, consent architectures, and data privacy safeguards from the ground up.

Practical tip. Audit your software architecture and licensing dependencies before applying to ensure your core technology can be fully open-sourced without compromising intellectual property belonging to third-party vendors.

How to apply

Eligible startups must complete and submit their official application through the UNICEF Venture Fund platform ahead of the formal cut-off date on 4 November 2026. Applicants must outline their core technology, product functionality, and target market context.

The submission requires demonstration of how the working prototype addresses one of the designated femtech pillars, alongside technical documentation of the frontier technology used. Detailed instructions for application steps are handled directly via the donor’s digital application portal.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: unicef.org.