About UNICEF Startup Lab

The UNICEF Startup Lab is a co-creation space and startup incubator located at UNICEF’s offices in Accra, Ghana. It aims to actively engage young startups in the development of innovative, open-source, market-driven products and solutions that help address complex problems impacting the wellbeing of children and young people, especially the most vulnerable.

The Lab provides a platform for co-creation by bringing together partnerships from within the startup ecosystem in Ghana (including among civil society, academia and the private sector) to identify and enable the next generation of impact-focused businesses.
Explore this site to learn more about our application criteria, programme experts, and upcoming events.

The #AfricaVsVirus Challenge: innovations to fight COVID-19

Over 209 countries and territories across the world have reported more than 1.4 million cases and recorded more than 85,000 deaths. 
On the African continent, the situation continues to rapidly evolve. Over 45 countries have confirmed more than 8,300 COVID-cases and
349 deaths. The African Development Bank and its partners believe innovation and entrepreneurship are the promising mix to address the pandemic in Africa.

From the 17 to 19 April 2020 a 72-hour global hackathon would take place with the aim to identify and develop effective solutions to the coronavirus pandemic. The topics to be addressed in the challenge are public health and epidemiology; vulnerable populations; businesses and economy, community, education, entertainment, government support, environment and energy, and food security.

The Challenge is open to entrepreneurs, companies, civil society organizations and governments with bankable solutions or ventures to address the pandemic. The top pitches will be eligible to win thousands of dollars’ worth of financial, technical and skills-learning support to advance their implementation.

At the UNICEF Startup Lab, young entrepreneurs are already working on transformative innovations to positively impact on vulnerable communities’ lives: from successful crowdfunding platform to e-health solutions, from breastfeeding kit to innovative solution for farmers. Members of the Lab will also be joining the #AfricaVsVirus Challenge and will pitch solutions as well.

The #AfricaVsVirus Challenge represents an incredible opportunity to make these ideas be scaled in favour of effective solutions in the fight against COVID 19 Pandemic.           

For more info: africavsvirus.com