The UNICEF Venture Fund champions diversity, inclusion, and frontier tech innovation by backing early and growth stage start-ups leveraging artifical intelligence (AI), machine learning, data science, blockchain, and other cutting-edge technologies. We prioritize solutions that directly improve the lives of children.
As climate change accelerates, children and their communities are increasingly exposed to extreme heat, floods, droughts, and air pollution threatening access to health services, safe water, and education. Through the Climate Innovation Challenge, the UNICEF Venture Fund will identify, recognize, and support innovators developing scalable solutions to protect children’s health and build long-term resilience of the systems they depend on for their well-being.
Approach to child-centric climate innovation:
Recognizing the urgent and multidimensional threats climate change poses to children, the UNICEF Venture Fund will catalyze innovation in two key areas:
Area 1: Climate and health
Solutions that protect children from climate-related health risks, such as:
- tools for air quality monitoring to protect children from respiratory illness
- solutions to detect, prevent, and reduce children’s exposure to lead pollution in air, water, soil, and food;
- digital platforms to support community engagement and reporting of climate-related health issues; emission reductions; and waste management
- integrated platforms that combine climate (environmental, meteorological, demographic) and health data, leveraging AI and geospatial technologies to predict and manage health risks
- platforms for frontline health workers and community leaders to understand, interpret, and respond to climate-health data
- Innovations focused on climate-sensitive infectious diseases, including heat-related impacts, priority disease areas may include water-borne (cholera), vector-borne (malaria), food-borne and soil-borne infections, as well as antimicrobial resistance linked to climate change, widely impacting children
- smart heat and humidity monitoring and adaptation solutions for child-critical environments, such as homes, schools, and health facilities
- low-cost cooling technologies, including for schools, homes, and health facilities.
Area 2: Climate adaptation, resilienc,e and disaster risk management
AI and data-driven systems and delivery models that predict, detect, and mitigate climate risks, such as:
- community-level early warning systems for early risk mitigation, and predictive platforms for emergency response
- Frontier Tech enabled analysis and scenario modelling for climate-related risks
- blockchain-based verification and validation of real-world climate events and service delivery
- tools for anticipatory action for climate-sensitive resource allocation and resilient infrastructure planning that integrate climate hazards with social and health datasets
- parametric insurance platforms and innovative financing mechanisms that provide rapid protection for children and communities against climate disasters
- blockchain-based solutions to increase energy resilience, including financing for renewable energy or clean energy alternatives;
- community energy networks to power clean water systems and food storage facilities, such as peer-to-peer energy trading networks.
UNICEF is launching a call for solutions from emerging markets in collaboration with India Health Fund (IHF), and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). To maximize impact, UNICEF will foster collaboration between early-stage frontier tech ventures and help scale proven climate adaptation solutions. This dual track approach seeks to drive impact and provide long-term sustainability.
We also invite value-aligned partners to support innovation challenges, design sprints and deliver strategic technical assistance to build greater equity and trust across technological solutions.
Through this challenge, we seek to:
- conduct a market mapping of child-centric climate innovators operating across emerging markets
- create capacity by offering mentorship and technical assistance from UNICEF Venture Fund experts to selected start-ups, enhancing their investment readiness and potential for future funding. This will comprise:
- 10 hours of technical mentoring consisting of open source, business development, frontier technology, software development and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mentorship
- additional support to understand and navigate the UNICEF Venture Fund sourcing and selection process
- highlight investable solutions that demonstrate public good and market opportunity
The UNICEF Venture Fund is particularly seeking solutions that:
- address challenges to accelerate results for children
- are optimized for low-resource environments (e.g., low connectivity or limited mobile access)
- focus on reducing, rather than widening, inequalities, delivering results for diverse users and communities
- can deliver in multiple languages, including local and less used languages
At UNICEF, we prioritize solutions that leverage advanced technologies and uphold strict data protection measures and safeguarding principles to prioritize individuals’ privacy and wellbeing. Additionally, we value a comprehensive approach that strengthens systems and services, recognizing the importance of building resilient and sustainable infrastructure to effectively support health and mental health initiatives, and achieve lasting positive outcomes in the long run.
Companies need to fulfil the following mandatory selection criteria to be considered:
- be registered as a private for-profit company
- be registered in a UNICEF programme country (See the list of eligible countries here)
- have a working prototype or minimum viable product of the proposed solution, ideally, showing promising results
- be open source or willing to be open source
- have the potential to positively impact the lives of the most vulnerable children
- generate publicly exposed real-time data that is measurable
Deadline: 21 October 2025
Click HERE to Apply
