The UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund (CryptoFund) announced that it will invest 125 ETH in the eight companies – from seven countries – to develop prototypes, pilot, or scale their technologies over six months.
All UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund’s chosen startups have previously received up to $100,000 from UNICEF’s Innovation Fund and are now receiving cryptocurrency to continue the development of their open-source and digital public goods.
We are seeing the digital world come at us more quickly than we could have imagined – and UNICEF must be able to use all of the tools of this new world to help children today and tomorrow
says Chris Fabian, Senior Adviser, co-Lead, UNICEF
Chosen Blockchain Startups
Afinidata (Guatemala): Afinidata uses artificial intelligence to provide parents with a personal assistant that guides them with personalized and effortless early-childhood activities, delivered directly into messaging apps they already use to communicate with family and friends and without requiring any new downloads.
Avyantra (India): Avyantra has successfully moved from the proof of concept stage to a fully accomplished product with support from the UNICEF Innovation fund. Avyantra’s team has developed PreSco, a cloud-based application to facilitate early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis through machine learning methods.
Cireha (Argentina): Cireha created an app called “Cboard,” to help more children with speech impairments communicate through symbols. It’s particularly interested in scaling into countries where these types of tools are virtually nonexistent. Further down the line, it wants to add machine learning and new interfaces to its product.
Ideasis (Turkey): medical system app to treat phobias or social anxiety disorders.
OS City (Mexico): is issuing blockchain-based government assets, heading towards issuing 1,000 blockchain IDs to allocate children’s educational diplomas.
StaTwig (India): Using blockchain technology to to secure food for millions living in poverty.
Somleng (Cambodia): is scaling its low-cost Interactive Voice Response platform by partnering with the Government of Cambodia to send vital information about COVID-19.
Utopic (Chile): A learning game.
UNICEF is currently open to receiving applications from startups using blockchain tech. Program beneficiaries will obtain funding grants for up to US$100,000 (in fiat or cryptocurrency). To learn more or to apply check out the UNICEF Innovation Fund’s call for submissions here.
