UNICEF Femtech Ventures Second Cohort Call for Applications (2026)

About

UNICEF Venture Fund is selecting a second cohort of early- and growth-stage companies in emerging markets that use open-source frontier technology to improve women's and girls' health, wellbeing and sexual and reproductive health and rights, offering up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding and 12 months of technical mentorship.

Benefits

• 💰Up to US$100,000 in equity-free funding
  Selected companies can receive up to US$100,000 in equity-free capital.
• 🧑‍🏫 12 months of technical mentorship
  Selected companies receive 12 months of technical mentorship and support.
• 🌍UNICEF global network access
  Selected companies gain access to UNICEF's global network, including its relationships with governments, to help set solutions on pathways to scale.

Eligibility Criteria

• Mandatory: be a private, for-profit company legally registered in a UNICEF programme country
• Mandatory: have a functional prototype and results from initial testing
• Mandatory: be committed to open-source licensing and principles, or be willing to make the funded solution open source
• Mandatory: work on an open-source frontier technology solution using technologies such as AI, machine learning, blockchain or data science
• Mandatory: have the potential to positively impact vulnerable children and generate publicly exposed, measurable real-time data
• Preferred: women-led startups and founders under 35 are strongly encouraged to apply
• Preferred: early- and growth-stage companies in emerging markets, especially solutions ready to deploy in low-resource or emergency settings
• Preferred: solutions across healthcare access, informed and accessible reproductive health, or mental wellbeing, safety and protection

Participation Commitments

• Submit a complete application form by 11 November 2026
• Selected companies join the Femtech Ventures portfolio
• Selected companies must commit to open-source licensing and principles; the funded solution must have an open-source license by month six of the one-year investment period
• Safety-by-design is a condition of UNICEF's investment, including data privacy, consent architecture and user risk
• Selected companies receive 12 months of technical mentorship and technical support
• Funding is equity-free; UNICEF states that it does not take equity
• Selected companies must provide publicly accessible, measurable real-time data and sign an institutional contract with UNICEF

Target Sector

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Target Location

Companies must be legally registered in a UNICEF programme country; the call targets emerging markets and locally built solutions. No founder nationality or residence requirement is stated.