UNICEF Femtech Ventures is inviting applications for its second annual cohort of companies developing technology-driven solutions to improve the health, wellbeing, and sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women.

The initiative is part of the UNICEF Venture Fund’s five-year programme running from 2025 to 2030. It supports locally developed frontier technology solutions that address gaps in women’s and girls’ healthcare, particularly in emerging markets where access to quality services, trusted health information and appropriate healthcare technologies remains limited.

The programme targets early- and growth-stage companies that have developed a functional prototype and are committed to open-source technology. Selected companies will receive funding, technical mentorship and access to UNICEF’s global network to help their solutions progress towards deployment and scale.

Funding Available and Support

Selected companies can receive:

• Up to US$100,000 in funding to advance their technology solutions.
• 12 months of technical mentorship to support development, validation and deployment.
• Access to UNICEF’s global network, including relationships with governments and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support to strengthen the scalability and potential adoption of solutions in local healthcare systems.
• Guidance on responsible technology development, including data privacy, consent and user safety.

Purpose and Objectives

The programme aims to address persistent gaps in women’s and girls’ health innovation by supporting technologies that are developed close to the communities they serve.

Its objectives include:

• Expanding access to quality healthcare for women and girls, particularly underserved populations.
• Improving access to sexual and reproductive health information, services and support.
• Advancing digital solutions for mental wellbeing, safety and protection.
• Supporting locally developed innovations with the potential for wider deployment.
• Promoting open-source technologies that can be reused, adapted and built upon.
• Embedding data protection, informed consent and user safety into technology development from the outset.

Priority Areas

The call focuses on three main pillars.

1. Healthcare Access for Women and Girls

Solutions that improve healthcare outcomes across the continuum of care, from antenatal and postnatal support to newborn and child health.

Examples include:

• Affordable screening and point-of-care diagnostic support.
• Digital tools connecting screening, referrals and follow-up.
• Maternal health platforms supporting continuity of care.
• Demand forecasting and supply planning for essential maternal and child health supplies.
• Solutions designed for primary and community healthcare, including low-resource settings.

2. Informed, Safe and Accessible Reproductive Health

Technologies that help women and girls access reliable information and services, make informed decisions and maintain control over sensitive health information.

Examples include:

• Digital reproductive health information and counselling platforms.
• Community health worker tools for referrals and follow-up.
• Technology supporting HPV screening and prevention.
• Platforms connecting women and girls to sexual and reproductive healthcare services.
• Privacy-preserving solutions for managing sensitive reproductive health data.

3. Mental Wellbeing, Safety and Protection

Innovations addressing the psychological, emotional and digital safety needs of women, girls and children.

Examples include:

• Digital mental health and psychosocial support tools.
• Maternal and adolescent mental health screening and referral solutions.
• Technologies supporting frontline workers to identify mental health risks.
• Digital tools for the early detection of and response to gender-based violence.
• Online safety solutions addressing harassment, abuse and exploitation.

Eligible Technologies

The programme is interested in companies using frontier technologies to develop scalable solutions, including:

• Artificial intelligence, including generative and agentic AI.
• Machine learning.
• Blockchain.
• Data science and digital health technologies.

Technology must address a relevant health, wellbeing, safety or protection challenge. Innovation should be designed around users’ needs and have the potential to deliver practical impact, particularly in underserved or low-resource settings.

Who Can Apply?

The opportunity is intended for:

• Early-stage technology startups.
• Growth-stage companies developing femtech solutions.
• Women-led startups and companies.
• Young founders under the age of 35.
• Companies using frontier technologies to address women’s and girls’ health and wellbeing challenges.

Women-led startups and young founders are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the programme’s core requirements:

• Be a company registered in a UNICEF programme country.
• Have a functional prototype of the proposed solution.
• Be committed to open-source licensing and principles.
• Develop a solution relevant to the health, wellbeing, or sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women.
• Demonstrate a credible opportunity for practical application and future scaling.

UNICEF places particular emphasis on a locally grounded approach, with solutions validated within the communities they aim to serve.

Data protection and safeguarding are essential considerations. Applicants should account for privacy, consent, user risks and the responsible handling of sensitive health information throughout the design and development process.

Geographic Scope

Applications are sought from companies registered in UNICEF programme countries, covering eligible markets across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and other regions.

Examples of UNICEF programme countries include:

• South Africa
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• Ghana
• Uganda
• Rwanda
• India
• Bangladesh
• Indonesia
• Brazil
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Egypt
• Morocco
• Philippines

This is a selection of examples, not an exhaustive country list. Applicants should confirm their country's inclusion in the official UNICEF programme-country list before applying.

Application Deadline

4 November 2026

Application Process

Eligible companies must submit an application through UNICEF Femtech Ventures’ official application process. Applicants should be prepared to explain the problem their solution addresses, demonstrate the maturity of their prototype, describe the technology and its intended users, and show how the solution could be deployed and scaled.

Applicants should also explain how their approach aligns with open-source principles and addresses privacy, consent, safeguarding and user safety.

Click HERE to visit the official website.