D-Prize

D-Prize is on a mission to provide the world's best poverty solutions to those in need. We give up to $20,000 to anyone who can solve this challenge.
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06/04/2026

In critical moments, access to oxygen can be the difference between life and death.

Dr. Aishat Adeniji started with a simple idea: hospitals in Nigeria shouldn’t struggle to source oxygen when patients need it most.

For her team, D-Prize was early, patient funding that helped them test, iterate, and refine their model.

Today, HealthPort works with 11 hospital partners across Nigeria to make medical oxygen more accessible at the last mile. Since the intervention began, these facilities have reported zero oxygen-related fatalities.

What started as an early-stage idea has grown into an organization directly improving patient survival in critical care settings.

If you're considering applying to D-Prize, Aishat says go for it and stay close to the problem you're trying to solve.

Applications close June 7, 2026. Apply here: www.d-prize.org

06/01/2026

Today, their work has delivered more than 1 million doses of contraceptives across Northern Nigeria.

But every impact story starts somewhere.

For Klau Pakos and Yifei Jefferson Chen, it began with a D-Prize application and an idea they believed could change lives.

No traction. Just a model they believed could work in some of the hardest-to-reach communities, and the determination to test it.

Early support from D-Prize helped them test their approach, generate evidence, and build toward scale.

Today, Lafiya has reached hundreds of thousands of women in remote and underserved communities with access to free, safe contraceptives.

What began as a small pilot has grown into an organization delivering essential reproductive healthcare at scale.

If you're wondering whether to apply, Klau and Jefferson's advice is simple: do it.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Applications close June 7, 2026. Apply here: www.d-prize.org

Know someone who should apply to D-Prize's Global Competition? Tag them below.

05/14/2026

They weren’t registered yet. No major backing. Just a belief that girls in Malawi deserved access to sexual health education that could change lives.

Phindu Banda and her co-founders received support from D-Prize at the earliest stage. No established organization. Just conviction, ambition, and an idea.

We believed in them and became one of their first supporters. That early funding helped turn vision into action.

Today, through 4Her2Her, Phindu’s team is implementing Sugar Daddy Awareness, a one-hour program proven to reduce unwanted pregnancies and STDs among girls.

They’ve now reached more than 1,193 girls across Lilongwe, Malawi. They’re helping young women access knowledge and support that too many are still denied.

And it all began with a single application.

If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to start, Phindu strongly recommends applying to D-Prize.

This could be the opportunity that unlocks your gateway to a brilliant future.

Applications close June 7, 2026. Apply here: www.d-prize.org

Know someone who should apply to D-Prize’s Global Competition? Tag them below.

05/12/2026

Interested in the childcare intervention?

This Wednesday, join our office hours session with Will Snider to learn how to think about childcare as a distribution intervention, and what D-Prize looks for in a strong, scalable model.

D-Prize supports entrepreneurs to launch new ventures that deliver proven solutions to extreme poverty.

📅 May 13, 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM WAT (2:00 PM GMT, 4:00 PM CAT, 5:00 PM EAT)

🔗 Register here: www.d-prize.org/office-hours/childcare

05/04/2026

They had no track record. No prior funding. Just a conviction that no mother in Cameroon should die from something preventable.

Martha Agbornyenty received funding from D-Prize at the earliest stage. No portfolio to point to. Just ideas.

We saw potential and became her first funder. That single yes was the catalyst.

Today, through For Mom and Baby Foundation, Martha's team is delivering emergency kits directly to mothers in rural Cameroon. They're reaching women who would otherwise give birth without basic supplies. They're showing up in communities where the health system hasn't.

5,000+ emergency kits distributed. 10,000+ women reached. And it started with one application.

Martha says it best: "Applying will be the best decision you ever make."

If you're sitting on an idea, wondering if you're ready, this is your call to action.

Applications close June 7, 2026. Apply here: d-prize.org

Know someone who should apply? Tag them in the comments!

04/30/2026

We’re hosting an office hours session on the childcare intervention.

Join us to hear from Will Snider, Senior Operations Lead and Competition Judge at D-Prize, on how to think about childcare as a distribution intervention and what it takes to design a strong, scalable model.

D-Prize supports entrepreneurs to launch new ventures that deliver proven, cost-effective interventions to millions of people in the world’s poorest communities. In this session, Will will share what D-Prize looks for in early-stage childcare ideas and how to approach building a model that can scale.

📅 May 13, 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM WAT (2:00 PM GMT, 4:00 PM CAT, 5:00 PM EAT)

This session is especially useful if you are:

• Exploring the childcare intervention
• Considering applying to D-Prize
• Thinking about how to design a scalable childcare model

🔗 Register: www.d-prize.org/office-hours/childcare

04/27/2026

Interested in the reading glasses intervention?

This Wednesday, join previous D-Prize winners - Irene Mbabazi, Derrick Bary Abila, Beatrice Abura, and Dr Araya Yirga, as well as the Eyeglasses Initiative (Livelihood Impact Fund), and our team for a session on what it takes to design, pilot, and scale a successful reading glasses model.

📅 April 29, 2026

⏰ 2:00 PM WAT (1:00 PM GMT, 3:00 PM CAT, 4:00 PM EAT)

🔗 Register: bit.ly/GlassesWebinarApril

04/20/2026

D-Prize was the chance to begin. When Irene Mbabazi and her co-founder, Derrick Bary Abila, applied to D-Prize, they had the ambition and commitment. What they didn't have was the funding to act.

Through D-Prize, they piloted their reading glasses model, tested what worked, and moved from concept to ex*****on, with technical support along the way.

Today, their venture, Santé Initiative Uganda, has distributed over 8,500 reading glasses, reducing presbyopia and increasing income for many people across Uganda.

For anyone sitting on applying to D-Prize and wondering if they should apply. Irene says, Go for it!

Applications for the D-Prize Global Competition are open until June 7, 2026. Apply here: https://d-prize.org/

Also: Irene will be speaking at our upcoming webinar with the Livelihood Impact Fund on the Reading Glasses Challenge holding on April 29. Register here: bit.ly/GlassesWebinarApril

04/14/2026

We’re hosting a webinar on the reading glasses intervention with the Livelihood Impact Fund.

Five ventures across five African countries each ran a three-month pilot selling reading glasses, collectively moving over 4,300 pairs.

Join us to hear directly from the entrepreneurs who ran these pilots and the seed funding team that designed and supported them. They'll share what actually drove sales, how they navigated challenges like stigma and pricing, and which marketing channels proved most effective.

📅 April 29, 2026
⏰ 2:00 PM WAT (1:00 PM GMT, 3:00 PM CAT, 4:00 PM EAT)

This session is especially useful if you are:

• Exploring the reading glasses intervention
• Considering applying to D-Prize’s Global Competition
• Thinking about how to move from pilot to scale

🔗 Register: bit.ly/GlassesWebinarApril

04/13/2026

We’re hosting an office hours session on the Sayana Press intervention.

Join us to hear directly from Klau Pakos, Co-Founder & CEO of Lafiya, on what it takes to design, pilot, and scale a successful model distributing self-injectable contraceptives.

Klau brings close to a decade of experience in global health and development, much of it in Nigeria. Their work spans research, operations, and consulting, shaping how they build teams, partner with the government, and deliver at scale.

📅 Wednesday, April 15, 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM WAT (2:00 PM GMT, 4:00 PM CAT, 5:00 PM EAT)

This session is especially useful if you are:

Exploring the Sayana Press intervention
Considering applying to D-Prize
Thinking about how to move from pilot to scale

Register: www.d-prize.org/office-hours/sayana

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