AI and Technology Solutions for Women’s Livelihoods

The "AI and Technology Solutions for Women’s Livelihoods" program is an initiative by the Gates Foundation designed to foster innovation among startups in India. It specifically targets ventures that are building scalable, high-impact AI and technology-driven solutions aimed at improving the economic participation and resilience of women. The core objective is to enhance income growth, facilitate access to capital, and strengthen market linkages for women workers and micro-entrepreneurs across various sectors where livelihoods are often precarious.

This program actively seeks out innovations that benefit women in critical sectors such as agriculture, informal work, the gig economy, and care services. Beyond financial assistance, selected startups receive comprehensive non-monetary support. This includes long-term mentorship, crucial access to markets, opportunities to form partnerships with large-scale delivery organizations, and the chance to pilot and expand their solutions in underserved and low-income regions.

By providing a combination of financial backing, ecosystem access, and strategic implementation partnerships, the program empowers startups to deploy proven, technology-driven solutions. The ultimate goal is to create a meaningful and widespread improvement in the economic opportunities and stability for women across India.

• Supports AI and technology solutions for women's livelihoods in India.
• Focuses on women in agriculture, informal work, gig economy, and care services.
• Aims to improve income growth, capital access, and market linkages.
• Offers financial support, long-term mentoring, and market access.
• Provides partnerships and scaling opportunities in underserved regions.
• Open to startups at the product or revenue stage.

Startups that are developing AI or technology-enabled solutions specifically designed to support women workers and micro-entrepreneurs in India are invited to apply. The solutions must clearly focus on enhancing income growth, improving access to capital, strengthening market linkages, or building livelihood resilience for women.

Eligible sectors for these solutions include agriculture, informal work, the gig economy, and care services. Applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong potential for scalability, the capacity for measurable impact, and clear relevance to underserved or low-income geographies within India. The program is open to startups that are currently at the product stage or have already achieved revenue.

AI and Technology Solutions for Women’s Livelihoods accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

Selected startups receive valuable financial support to help advance their innovative solutions. In addition to funding, the program offers comprehensive non-monetary benefits crucial for growth and impact.

These benefits include:

• Long-term mentoring from experienced professionals.
• Enhanced access to markets, connecting startups with broader opportunities.
• Strategic partnerships with large-scale delivery players, facilitating wider reach.
• Opportunities to pilot and scale solutions across underserved geographies, maximizing impact.

AI and Technology Solutions for Women’s Livelihoods is offered by Gates Foundation, a non-profit foundation. It is delivered directly by Gates Foundation as a grant. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Before you apply to AI and Technology Solutions for Women’s Livelihoods, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

AI and Technology Solutions for Women’s Livelihoods is best suited for product and revenue-stage ai saas enterprise, edtech social impact and agri food rural startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.