Running Frontier Technology Startups? Apply for The UNICEF Innovation Fund

Running Frontier Technology Startups? Apply for The UNICEF Innovation Fund

If you’ve got a start-up using Frontier Technology such as  machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain or extended reality, registered in one of UNICEF’s programme countries, and have a working, open source prototype (or you are willing to make it open-source) showing promising results, the UNICEF Innovation Fund is looking for you.

The UNICEF Innovation Fund is looking to make up to 100K equity-free investments to provide early stage (seed) finance to for-profit technology start-ups that have the potential to benefit humanity.

Nearly 4 billion people (29% of whom are 18-24 year-olds) remain unconnected from the internet, and by extension unconnected to digital products that could dramatically improve their lives.

Adding to this challenge, the gender digital divide is also growing, and studies show men outnumber women on the internet as much as two to one. Unless things change, a big part of this rapidly growing group of young people is in danger of being left behind, excluded from the modern digital world.

The UNICEF Innovation Fund is interested in learning about startups that are innovating in the spaces of digital connectivity, remedial learning, remote learning and work, and job matching for young people and adolescents.

Only shortlisted companies will be contacted with a Request for Proposal to be considered for our funding opportunity. The last date to submit this form is September 30, 2019.

Only entities that fulfill these mandatory requirements will be eligible:

• Registered as a private company
• A private company registered in a UNICEF programme country
• Working on open source technology solutions (or willing to be open source) under the following licenses or their equivalent:

(i) for software, a BSD license,

(ii) for design or content, a CC-BY license

• An existing prototype of the open source solution with promising results from initial pilots
• Solution has the potential to positively impact the lives of the most vulnerable children
• Generating publicly exposed real-time data that can be/is measured

UNICEF’s Innovation Fund has been specifically designed to finance early stage, open-source technology that can benefit children. The core motivation of the Innovation Fund is to identify “clusters” or portfolios of initiatives around emerging technology – so that UNICEF can both share markets and also learn about and guide these technologies to benefit children.

Click here to start your application.

The UNICEF Innovation fund invests in solutions clusters around $100 billion industries in frontier technology spaces, such as: blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Generation Unlimited (GenU) is a global partnership to change the status quo and overcome barriers to young people’s progress, such as the lack of basic connectivity, quality education and training opportunities. This round of investments will address four “Global Breakthrough” areas identified as opportunities in the GenU agenda: job-matching, remedial learning, remote learning and work, and digital connectivity.

Want to join our growing business network? Book a tour today at any of our branches and check out our amazing packages!