UNICEF Venture Fund Femtech Solutions 2026: Up to $100,000
The UNICEF Femtech Ventures 2026 call is providing up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding to companies developing open-source technology solutions that improve the health, wellbeing and sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women.
- FundingUp to US$100,000
- Who can applyAfghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and…
- Application feeFree
Overview
Selected companies also receive 12 months of technical mentorship and access to UNICEF’s global network, including relationships with governments.
Applications close on November 4, 2026.
UNICEF Femtech Ventures is a five-year initiative running from 2025 to 2030 under the UNICEF Venture Fund.
It invests in locally developed frontier-technology solutions that address challenges affecting the health, wellbeing and rights of girls and women in emerging markets.
The programme supports technologies including:
- Artificial intelligence
- Generative and agentic AI
- Machine learning
- Blockchain
- Data science
- Other frontier technologies
Both early-stage and growth-stage companies can apply.
At a glance
About
- Opportunity type
- Grant / Startup Funding
- Funding type
- Equity-free
- Location
- Emerging markets / UNICEF programme countries
- Detail
- Information
- Organizer
- UNICEF Venture Fund
- Mentorship
- 12 months
Funding
- Funding
- Up to US$100,000
- Application fee
- Free
Eligibility
- Minimum degree required
- None
- Work experience
- None
- Age limit
- None
- Nationality
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Who can apply
The company should:
- Be registered in a UNICEF programme country
- Have a functional prototype
- Have results from initial testing
- Be developing a solution using frontier technology
- Be committed to open-source licensing and principles
- Have potential for scalable impact
Women-led startups and founders under 35 years old are particularly encouraged to apply.
What you get
Selected companies can receive:
- Up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding
- 12 months of technical mentorship
- Access to UNICEF’s global network
- Opportunities to connect with governments and other stakeholders
- Support to develop solutions toward scale
UNICEF does not take equity in exchange for the funding.
How to apply
- Check that your company is registered in a UNICEF programme country.
- Confirm that your solution fits one of the three Femtech Ventures pillars.
- Ensure you have a functional prototype and initial testing results.
- Review the open-source and data-protection requirements.
- Complete the UNICEF Venture Fund application.
- Submit it before November 4, 2026.
Minimum Degree Required
There is no degree requirement stated for founders.
Selection is based on the company’s technology, prototype, impact potential, team and other programme criteria.
Age Limit
There is no general founder age limit stated.
However, UNICEF specifically encourages young founders under 35 to apply.
Nationality
The call is not restricted by individual founder nationality.
However, the company must be registered in a UNICEF programme country.
What Solutions Is UNICEF Looking For?
Applications are being considered across three main areas.
1. Healthcare Access for Women and Girls
Solutions can address areas such as:
- Maternal and newborn healthcare
- Primary and community care
- Health screening
- Anaemia and other underdiagnosed conditions
- Referral and follow-up systems
- Maternal health platforms
- Healthcare supply planning
2. Reproductive Health
UNICEF is looking for technology that improves access to safe and reliable reproductive-health information and services.
Examples include:
- AI-powered reproductive-health platforms
- Digital counselling
- Community health-worker platforms
- HPV screening technologies
- Health-financing platforms
- Privacy-preserving health-data solutions
3. Mental Wellbeing, Safety and Protection
Solutions may address:
- Women’s and girls’ mental health
- Gender-based violence
- Online abuse and harassment
- Digital safety
- Trauma response
- Maternal and adolescent mental health
- Risk identification and referral
Open-Source Requirement
A key requirement is UNICEF’s commitment to open-source technology.
Applicants should be prepared to release the funded technology under an appropriate open-source licence while complying with UNICEF’s requirements around data protection, privacy, consent and safeguarding.
Are There Any Hidden Charges?
No application fee is stated.
The funding itself is equity-free, so UNICEF does not take an ownership stake in the company in exchange for the investment.
However, applicants should carefully review UNICEF’s contractual and open-source requirements before applying.
Official Link
Final Note
The UNICEF Femtech Ventures 2026 call is particularly relevant for startups using AI, machine learning, blockchain or data science to solve women’s and girls’ health, reproductive health, safety or wellbeing challenges.
Deadline: November 4, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is UNICEF Femtech Ventures 2026 open?
Yes. Applications are currently open until November 4, 2026.
How much funding is available?
Selected companies can receive up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding.
Does UNICEF take equity?
No. The funding is equity-free.
Is there an application fee?
No application fee is stated in the official call.
Do I need a working product?
Yes. Applicants are expected to have a functional prototype and results of initial testing.
Can women-led startups apply?
Yes. Women-led startups are specifically encouraged to apply.
Do I need to be under 35?
No. There is no general age limit, although young founders under 35 are encouraged to apply.
Does the company need to be registered?
Yes. The company must be registered in a UNICEF programme country.
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