Yuri Milner launched Tech For Refugees in 2022 to help tackle the global refugee crisis. The non-profit initiative supports humanitarian programmes that use technology to improve refugees’ lives. UNICEF USA, Uber, Airbnb.org, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are some of the leading organisations that have partnered with the initiative.
Over two years, Tech For Refugees’ support has enabled its tech partners to bring aid to millions of displaced people. Here’s a roundup of this year’s Tech For Refugees news so far.
March: Signpost Initiative Wins Prize
On 19 March, the European Commission named the IRC’s Signpost initiative as the winner of the first-ever European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation (InnovAid). The prize honours pioneering efforts in providing aid to those affected by natural and human-made crises.
Tech For Refugees made a multi-year commitment to the IRC in February 2023. This support has enabled Signpost’s expansion in Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. Signpost has now reached more than 20 countries, including Ukraine, Kenya, and Mexico. The project also won a United Nations “Connect” Award in July 2023.
May: A New Grant for Flexport.org and Welcome.US
On 7 May, Tech For Refugees announced a new grant for its partner Flexport.org’s humanitarian efforts. Flexport.org leverages its tech-enabled logistics network and links to aid associations to deliver essential commodities like food and medical supplies to communities in need.
Flexport.org became a Tech For Refugees partner in April 2022. Since then, funding from Tech For Refugees has facilitated 448 shipments, reaching more than seven million people in 20 countries. This most recent grant will go towards humanitarian aid for displaced people in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.
On 21 May, Tech For Refugees pledged to expand its partnership with Welcome.US with a grant funding its Welcome Connect platform. The public platform facilitates a safe, streamlined sponsorship process for U.S. citizens and newcomers.
Welcome.US joined Yuri Milner’s initiative in 2022. Tech For Refugees helps fund the organisation’s efforts to support U.S. citizens who want to sponsor people seeking asylum. This funding has helped Welcome.US develop and scale Welcome Connect. The new grant will see the platform expand to include more resources and support for users.
June: Support for the IRC’s AprendIA Platform
The IRC, in partnership with its Airbel Impact Lab, has designed aprendIA, an educational chatbot platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI). aprendIA delivers personalised, interactive learning experiences to communities in crisis zones via messaging channels like SMS and WhatsApp.
On 18 June, Tech For Refugees announced that it would extend its partnership with the IRC by helping to fund aprendIA’s development. The apendIA system has already served as the building block for pilot programmes in Bangladesh, Colombia, and Nigeria. Initial feedback from these prototypes shows increased learner engagement and lighter teacher workloads.
Read more news from Tech For Refugees.
About Yuri Milner
Yuri Milner is a billionaire who has committed to donate most of his wealth to charitable causes. He and his wife Julia have signed the Giving Pledge to formalise this commitment. The couple established the Breakthrough Foundation over 10 years ago to direct funds towards philanthropic programmes, like Tech For Refugees.
Other Breakthrough Foundation-funded programmes include:
- The Breakthrough Prize, which celebrates leading scientists with $3 million prizes for groundbreaking discoveries in life sciences, maths, and fundamental physics.
- The Breakthrough Junior Challenge, which invites students worldwide to showcase their passion for science in a short, creative video that explains a complex concept.
- The Breakthrough Initiatives. This series of projects has accelerated the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and primitive alien life on other planets.
In 2021, Yuri Milner published Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilisation. This personal manifesto contains some of his thoughts on science and the future of humanity.