Behind the mint is the new Women in Innovation Fund , which has been co-founded by consumer goods company Reckitt and the Health Innovation and Investment Exchange , in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Eco Bank Foundation. The fund aims to address two significant areas of inequality - 1 in 2 people, or half the world, lack access to essential healthcare, and less than 2% of venture capital funding globally goes to women despite evidence their ventures generate stronger returns.
WiNFUND NFT holders will gain access to invite-only events on Sustainable Development Goals and will be invited to join a mentorship scheme to directly support the successful women entrepreneurs. Since applications opened in September, WiNFUND has received more than 300 applications from women entrepreneurs in seven African countries - Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. A shortlist of applicants will be announced on International Women's Day on 8 March.
Applicants also include Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa from Uganda, who launched Community Healthcare Innovation Lab to screen women in remote locations for cervical and breast cancer using artificial intelligence , after being treated for breast cancer herself. By investing in companies like these, WiNFUND will directly support women entrepreneurs to scale their enterprises, extending their reach and helping more people than ever access high-quality healthcare. WiNFUND's ambition is to replicate this model on other continents in the future.