Deadline Date: November 21, 2025
M Ventures is an innovative enterprise support initiative by the UN Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) under its Capital M initiative, implemented by Bopinc, created to help menstrual health enterprises overcome market barriers and unlock their full commercial and impact potential.
The focus of M Ventures is to support innovation, strengthen business models, and foster market readiness to transform menstrual health markets—expanding the diversity of menstrual product categories widely available so that every menstruator can access products that meet their distinct needs, preferences, and aspirations.
Enterprises selected for M Ventures receive a unique blend of funding, technical assistance, and peer learning to develop, test, and validate new business model approaches that increase access to commercial menstrual health products. Selected enterprises will take part in a five-day in-person immersive workshop covering customer insights, consumer research, marketing and distribution strategies, branding, and revenue models. They will also receive tailored technical assistance from seasoned experts, catalytic grant funding of up to USD 30,000 to pilot or refine a business idea, and access to a peer learning network of menstrual health entrepreneurs and experts.
Beyond funding and mentorship, M Ventures connects participants to valuable partnerships and learning opportunities. These include market connections through “speed dating” sessions with distributors, e-commerce platforms, and women’s health applications; expert learning from industry leaders who have successfully scaled consumer goods in LMIC markets; and both personalized and collective learning experiences to help enterprises strengthen their business capacity.
Enterprises in the Business Model Track will receive targeted support to enhance their commercial strategies for end-user pay models. The focus areas for this cohort include gaining deeper insights into target customer segments, developing effective marketing and demand-generation strategies, improving brand identity and packaging, designing sustainable user-pays revenue models, and identifying viable distribution and retail channels. Examples of pilot initiatives include selling menstrual products directly through workplaces, partnering with health entrepreneur networks, creating bundled offers combining products and services, and designing new market strategies to reach underserved menstruator groups.
To be eligible, applicants must be legally registered for-profit entities actively working in menstrual health and hygiene within East Africa—Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, or Tanzania—or demonstrate a concrete expansion plan into these countries. They must have a minimum viable product with initial sales, a committed and skilled team, and readiness to engage fully in program activities including workshops in Nairobi, coaching, reporting, and peer learning. Enterprises must offer or commit to piloting reusable or biodegradable/compostable solutions using the catalytic funding and have a clear, financially sustainable idea to pilot.
For more information, visit M Ventures.
