Practical Insights on Business for ICT4D Projects

What are Business Ideas for ICT4D Solutions?

Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) support and enable sustainable economic and social development in developing countries. There are many potential business ideas for ICT4D solutions, including:

  • Mobile health services: Developing mobile applications or platforms that provide health information and services, such as telemedicine, disease tracking, and medical appointment scheduling, in areas with limited access to healthcare.
  • Agricultural technology: Developing technologies such as precision agriculture systems, irrigation systems, and weather monitoring systems to improve the efficiency and productivity of small-scale farms.
  • Educational technology: Developing educational platforms, such as e-learning platforms or mobile apps, to provide access to education in remote or underserved areas.
  • Renewable energy solutions: Developing technologies such as solar panels or wind turbines to provide clean, affordable energy in areas without access to traditional electricity.
  • Digital financial services: Developing technologies such as mobile banking or digital payment systems to provide financial services to underserved communities.
  • Disaster response and management technologies: Developing technologies such as early warning systems or communication platforms to assist with disaster response and management efforts in developing countries.
  • Water and sanitation technologies: Developing technologies such as water purification systems or improved sanitation systems to address water and sanitation challenges in developing countries.
Please Stop Designing Humanitarian Solutions for Donor Funding

Please Stop Designing Humanitarian Solutions for Donor Funding

Published on: Jul 09 2026 by Wayan Vota - Leave a Comment
If you visit DEEP on the Wayback Machine, you will not find the AI-powered humanitarian analysis platform that UN OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Internal Displacement...
Time to Get Serious About AI in International Development

Time to Get Serious About AI in International Development

Published on: Jul 07 2026 by Sponsored Post - Leave a Comment
For three years, “AI for development” has been a conversation about possibility. Capability demonstrations. Pilot dashboards. Workshop slide decks. A...
How to Get Beyond Spreadsheets in Case Management

How to Get Beyond Spreadsheets in Case Management

Published on: Jun 25 2026 by Sponsored Post - Leave a Comment
Implementing case management systems in humanitarian and development contexts requires balancing individual service delivery with complex data governance requirements...
Build Your Digital Health Solution for the Payer-at-Scale

Build Your Digital Health Solution for the Payer-at-Scale

Published on: Jun 23 2026 by Sponsored Post - Leave a Comment
Last week, Nivi and MSD announced a global collaboration to expand HPV disease awareness and cervical cancer prevention beginning in India, Indonesia, and Thailand,...
Why Voice-Only Interfaces Are Failing Small Businesses in LMICs

Why Voice-Only Interfaces Are Failing Small Businesses in LMICs

Published on: May 21 2026 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
Development practitioners are celebrating voice interfaces as the ultimate accessibility solution. Yet research from Kenya’s small business sector reveals...
Please Treat Women as Digital Navigators of Facebook Applications

Please Treat Women as Digital Navigators of Facebook Applications

Published on: May 14 2026 by Wayan Vota - Leave a Comment
Have we been approaching the gender digital divide all wrong? For years, development practitioners have obsessed over access, affordability, and skills training...
Optimize for Community Usage Context Not Digital Technology

Optimize for Community Usage Context Not Digital Technology

Published on: May 12 2026 by Wayan Vota - Leave a Comment
I’ve lost count of how many ICT4D Fail Festival entries follow the same script: “Our app had cutting-edge features, our platform was technically robust,...
Apply Now: $150,000 Artificial Intelligence for Humanity Prize

Apply Now: $150,000 Artificial Intelligence for Humanity Prize

Published on: May 04 2026 by Wayan Vota - Leave a Comment
The AI divide is widening, not closing. As of June 2025, high-income countries held 77% of global colocation data center capacity, while low-income countries held...
We Built Digital Health Systems Without Securing Them. Now Constituents Are Paying for It.

We Built Digital Health Systems Without Securing Them. Now Constituents Are Paying for It.

Published on: Apr 30 2026 by Wayan Vota - 3 Comments
The development sector is proud of what it has built. DHIS2 runs national health information systems in more than 80 countries. CommCare supports community health...
Women Entrepreneurs Don’t Need Better Apps. They Need to be Heard

Women Entrepreneurs Don’t Need Better Apps. They Need to be Heard

Published on: Apr 21 2026 by Guest Writer - 3 Comments
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, women run an estimated 58% of informal businesses. They’re the backbone of local food systems, household economies, and community...