UNICEF Venture Fund Gender-Responsive Innovation Challenge 2024: (Deadline 31 May 2024)

The UNICEF Venture Fund is committed to diversity and inclusion in its approach to early-stage investing and catalyzing novel innovations developed by startups leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data science (DS), drones, blockchain, or extended reality (XR).  These innovations aim to address the unmet needs of marginalized and underserved children and their families.

In collaboration with GITEXAfrica, the Venture Fund launches The Gender- Responsive Innovation Challenge (GRIC). 

The challenge

Recognizing structural and systemic barriers in the technology sector which lead to the dominance of certain types of solutions and founders, the UNICEF Venture Fund is seeking to facilitate an inclusive and gender-responsive innovation in three key areas:

Area 1: Investing in diverse and underrepresented founders (especially women founders)

Area 2: Increasing the availability of digital products and services that can solve the specific unmet needs of vulnerable and underrepresented populations (such as children, women, people living with disabilities and refugees)

Area 3: Facilitating inclusive user design in the development of innovation to

The GRIC is an opportunity to recognise companies leading the way for developing gender-responsive solutions and/or businesses in Africa. Its primary objective is to identify, recognise and invest in companies facilitating  outcomes that can help close the gender gap.

About United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

For 70 years, UNICEF has worked to improve the lives of children and their families. Despite remarkable challenges around the world, UNICEF staffers fight for the rights of every child seeking safe shelter, nutrition, protection from disaster and conflicts, and equality. UNICEF works with the United Nations and its agencies to make sure that children are on the global agenda. UNICEF strikes a balance between thorough research and practical solutions for children…. read more…

Gender-Responsive Innovation Challenge

Aim and Benefits of Gender-Responsive Innovation Challenge

Companies will receive mentorship and technical assistance from Venture Fund experts to enhance their investment readiness and potential for future funding from the Venture Fund. It will comprise:

• 10 hours of technical mentoring consisting of Open Source, business development, frontier technology, software development, diversity, equity, and inclusion mentorship,
• Additional support to understand and navigate the Venture Fund sourcing and selection process.

Requirements for Gender-Responsive Innovation Challenge Qualification

IS YOUR COMPANY WORKING ON AN INNOVATIVE GENDER-RESPONSIVE SOLUTION IN AFRICA? 

The Venture Fund will select five outstanding companies in gender-responsive innovation which will receive an award:

The selection committee comprised of GITEX Africa and UNICEF Venture Fund will evaluate the nominated companies according to the defined criteria to assess and select the winners of the challenge.

GRIC winners will be announced at GITEX Africa Summit conference on 29-31 May in Marrakech, Morrocco.

The Venture Fund continues to seek further collaborations with values-aligned partners to support innovation challenges, design sprints and deliver strategic technical assistance to build greater equity and trust across technological solutions.

Apply to this opportunity if your company is working on a frontier tech solution addressing any gender disparity in Africa.

Application Deadline

May 31, 2024

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on form.jotform.com to apply

For more details, visit OFFICIAL LINK