UNICEF Femtech Ventures backs six African startups with up to $100,000 each

UNICEF announced on 30 April in Pretoria the first cohort of UNICEF Femtech Ventures, a five-year investment platform running from 2025 to 2030. Six African startups, Dotoh, Esheria, Umbaji, Feel by Luna, Dawa Health and Kairos, are among those selected. Each can receive up to $100,000 in equity-free capital plus a year of tailored technical assistance.

Who is behind it

The Government of Sweden is a founding partner, funding the platform through Sida and the Regional SRHR Strategy in Africa. The Embassy of Sweden in South Africa manages that strategy. Temasek Foundation is also a founding partner. The call drew more than 1,100 applications from 85 countries, with over half from Africa. In all, 151 startups in 53 countries were shortlisted, and 89% of them were woman-led.

The African startups

Dotoh (Benin) offers low-bandwidth voice and video consultations, location-based referrals and encrypted health records. Esheria (Kenya) makes SafeRide, an offline-first assistant for reporting safety incidents on public transport. Umbaji (Togo) runs HLlama, an open-source multilingual WhatsApp chatbot for antenatal guidance. Feel by Luna (Tunisia) lets users log symptoms privately and turns them into a clinical timeline. Dawa Health (Zambia) runs DawaMom, a chatbot and community health worker service for maternal care. Kairos (Burkina Faso) built YouthShield, which flags harmful reproductive health misinformation.

Thomas Davin, Global Director of the UNICEF Office of Innovation, said: "The most important innovation for women and girls is already being built".

At a glance

• Companies: Dotoh, Esheria, Umbaji, Feel by Luna, Dawa Health, Kairos
• Awarded: Up to $100,000 each
• Type: Equity-free funding
• Backers: Government of Sweden and Temasek Foundation
• Markets: Benin, Kenya, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia, Burkina Faso
• Key figure: 151 shortlisted startups from 53 countries