UNICEF Will Provide Seed Funding for Blockchain Startups

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is ready to invest in blockchain startups at the early stage if they can help children as they announce the start of a new investment program.

In an announcement released today, UNICEF stated that it is looking to make "$50-90K equity-free investments to provide early stage finance to for-profit technology start-ups that have the potential to benefit humanity". It is also said that UNICEF is looking for projects that developed their software on open blockchains. Using of other related technologies such as smart contracts, data analysis, tokens and mining is not prohibited as UNICEF assures that they do not wish to set any technological limits.

UNICEF states in the announcement:

"We are interested in companies that use distributed ledger tech in new, groundbreaking, ways that are scalable, and globally applicable".

The program is led by UNICEF Innovation Fund, a non-profit venture arm of UNICEF. This fund has been supporting blockchain developments aimed at humanitarian causes for a long time. Aside from funding, they provide projects with technical assistance, data sharing platforms and mentors. 

In November 2017 it was reported that the UN along with the World Identity Network would develop a pilot blockchain-project that would help combat child trafficking.