BOOST, a regional social impact acceleration program supported by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, selected 55 innovators from Europe and Central Asia to join the Women Innovators.
UNDP Europe and Central Asia’s BOOST, a regional acceleration program for social impact innovation, financed and supported by Koç Holding and the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, has selected a total of 55 champions to take part in its Women Innovators program. The program amplifies, bridges, and connects innovators across the region with innovative ideas that leverage the power of technology to support women and girls to thrive and advance in the digital economy. As digital transformation and new technologies propel us forward, the initiative
aims to close the widening gender digital divide, impacting women’s socio-economic opportunities in a wide range of fields.
The Slovak Ministry of Finance and UNDP in Europe and Central Asia hosted a challenge to gather innovative ideas that would help women advance in the digital economy in three thematic areas:
- women in data
- women and digital access & use
- women in the digital economy and STEM
Successful applicants
The program consists of two tracks:
- Track 1 is for women-led organizations in Europe and Central Asia working on tech innovations to bridge the gender digital divide. It received 223 applications, of which 45 were selected (22 startups, 3 SMEs, 5 social enterprises, 10 nonprofits, and 2 academic institutions).
- Track 2 is for women-led startups, registered in Turkey, working on innovations in any industry. Track 2 received 65 applications, of which 10 were selected.
“The response to our innovation call was truly remarkable. The ingenuity and great impact potential shown in the innovations we received confirms our conviction – our region is full of changemakers, and we need to amplify, bridge, and connect them. We are grateful to our
Evaluation Board, comprised of core partners and innovation experts, for selecting a promising new cohort to join the BOOST community. We look forward to seeing how these innovations advance gender equality across our region”, said Rikard Sjöstrand, BOOST Lead at UNDP.
List of selected participants is available in a press release. The 55 innovators from across Europe and Central Asia will join BOOST: Women Innovators to access world-class trainings and mentorship to develop, reimagine and scale their impact innovations – and compete for US$10,000 in equity-free capital. The innovations will become part of a region-wide portfolio that lays the groundwork for a better and inclusive future.