After a successful investment round, the UNICEF CryptoFund is again accepting applications for blockchain startups in emerging countries like Africa, for funding up to a tune of $100K.
The first eight startups received 125 ETH of crypto funding each and UNICEF is looking to extend its innovation fund to startups that have the potential to benefit humanity in emerging markets.
SEE ALSO: Akoin Foundation, in Partnership with Effect AI, to Launch a Blockchain Hub in Kenya in Q4, 2020
The last investment fund did not have an African startup. It seems likely that UNICEF will be looking supporting blockchain startups in Africa this time round.
The last round of investments included only two blockchain startups below:
- OS City (Mexico): Issuing blockchain-based government assets, heading towards issuing 1,000 blockchain IDs to allocate children’s educational diplomas
- StaTwig (India): Blockchain-based supply-chain tracking platform, partnering with the Indian government to track the delivery of rice from the government in low income areas
Female-led companies are especially encouraged to apply and will be given special priority:
“If diversity were a product that launched 2 years ago it would be considered a failure.” We at the UNICEF Innovation Fund are determined to fix the balance for our fund and show to others it can be done.
Our goal: From 2019 and onwards, 50% of our new portfolio companies will be female-led.” ~ UNICEF
The UNICEF Crypto Innovation Fund will be accessible to blockchain startups registered in one of UNICEF’s programme countries, of which all countries in Africa are part of.
Startups across the African continent are encouraged to submit their applications by July 26, 2020 below:
Female-founded startups are encouraged to apply. UNICEF is looking to support and champion more women-led companies and will be given special consideration.
Are you a startup working to make financial systems more transparent? To include the unbanked? Or are you exploring new models toward economic sustainability to empower communities? 💪
We want to hear from you! Apply today:https://t.co/DLchyGbdPM
— UNICEF Innovation (@UNICEFinnovate) June 30, 2020
Only entities that fulfill these mandatory requirements will be eligible:
- You must be registered as a private company in a UNICEF programme country
- You are working on open source technology solutions or willing to be open-source under the following licenses or their equivalent: BSD, GNU, MIT (software), CERN, MIT, TAPR (hardware), or CC-BY (content)
- You have an existing prototype of the solution with promising results from initial pilots
- Your solution has the potential to positively impact the lives of children
UNICEF is looking for solutions that seek to address any or all of the solutions below:
- Data: Developing solutions that increase the transparency of data or transfer of value for entities and help streamline enterprise processes
- Finance: Creating platforms that enable people to use, earn and hold cryptocurrencies and make financial systems more transparent
- Connect: Offering various models to help various groups to work together in a transparent and accountable nature ex: a decentralized marketplace
- Empower: Solutions that explore new ways of making decisions that protect user data
- Other: We are interested in companies that use distributed ledger tech in new, groundbreaking, ways that are scalable, and globally applicable
Selected blockchain startups will be expected to hold part of their funding in cryptocurrency with the option of selecting their preferred crypto option as bitcoin or ether.
If you’re interested in donating to the CryptoFund or connecting with the startups for any follow-on opportunities, please feel free to reach out to [email protected]
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