women holding hands. /PHOTO ;Pexel
ICONIQ Impact, the collaborative philanthropy platform of global investment firm ICONIQ, has announced the launch of the Women’s Health Co-Lab, a new fund designed to accelerate progress on women’s health and rights worldwide.
Backed by founding supporters Melinda French Gates, Jennifer Gates Nassar, and Phoebe Gates, alongside 14 other donors, the initiative was unveiled at the 2025 Forbes Impact Summit.
Created in partnership with Co-Impact, the Women’s Health Co-Lab seeks to mobilize $100 million to improve the health and agency of millions of women and girls globally.
The focus would be on maternal health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and ending gender-based violence.
“The philanthropic sector faces a defining moment to reinforce its dedication to women’s health and rights,” said Matti Navellou, head of ICONIQ Impact.
“And we’re encouraged to see so many philanthropists within our community partner thoughtfully to meet this moment.”
A Global Call to Action
ICONIQ Impact developed the Co-Lab on the principle that all women and girls, regardless of geography, should live safe, healthy, and autonomous lives.
For millions, however, that vision remains distant. Women continue to face preventable deaths in pregnancy, high levels of gender-based violence, and systemic barriers to family planning services.
“ICONIQ Impact is about moving capital quickly and collaboratively to the people solving the toughest problems. Women’s health is foundational to flourishing communities, and this new Co-Lab is a chance to put resources where they can have real impact,” said ICONIQ co-founder Michael Anders.
The Co-Lab launches with more than $70 million already committed and will provide unrestricted funding to 22 grantee organizations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States over the next three years.
“It is unacceptable that in 2025, women are still fighting the same battles for health and safety,” said Phoebe Gates, women’s health advocate and founder and co-CEO of Phia.
“Yet these 22 organizations give us reason to believe change is possible. They are pushing forward, protecting reproductive freedom, confronting violence, and demanding better care for mothers. Their work is a powerful reminder of the world we have the power to create.”
Three Focus Areas with Global Reach
The Women’s Health Co-Lab will concentrate on three areas where inequities are most acute worldwide:
Maternal health:
Every day, more than 800 women die from complications linked to pregnancy and childbirth, with Black, Indigenous, and other women of color, as well as women in rural and low-resource regions, facing the greatest risks.
The Co-Lab will support six grantees, including Every Mother Counts and the Maternal and Reproductive Health Research Collective, to strengthen maternal healthcare delivery systems, increase uptake of services through technology, advocacy, and community mobilization, and train frontline healthcare workers.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights:
Without accelerated progress, an estimated 470 million women will lack access to essential reproductive healthcare by 2030, most of them in the Global South.
To help reverse this trend, the Co-Lab will partner with 10 non-profits, including Americans for Contraception and Girl Effect, to expand healthcare access, provide accurate reproductive health information through media campaigns, and drive policy advocacy across Africa, Asia, and beyond.
Gender-based violence:
One in three women worldwide will experience violence in her lifetime.
The Co-Lab is supporting six organizations, including Serenas and Ujamaa Africa, that are working to strengthen protective policies and laws, challenge harmful norms among men and boys, empower adolescent girls, and provide critical support to survivors.
“Women’s health shouldn’t be a privilege; it should be a given, which is why I’m so energized to be part of this incredible group of philanthropists who understand that when we invest in women’s health, we invest in our collective future,” said Holly Fogle, co-principal of the Monarch Foundation and a founding donor.
“The challenges we face today only strengthen my resolve, and I hope our commitment inspires other donors to recognize that together, we can create the change we want to see.”
To date, ICONIQ Impact has mobilized more than $70 million for this effort and is inviting philanthropists globally to join the Women’s Health Co-Lab in advancing health, agency, and lasting change for women and girls everywhere.
“At its core, this collaboration is about trusting local leaders and resourcing their vision,” said Olivia Leland, founder and CEO of Co-Impact. “Together, this Co-Lab can strengthen maternal care systems, expand reproductive health access, and advance women’s safety and autonomy—delivering change that lasts.”
Philanthropists interested in learning more or joining the Women’s Health Co-Lab should contact ICONIQ Impact at iconiqimpact@iconiqcapital.com
About ICONIQ and ICONIQ Impact:
ICONIQ is a global investment firm catalyzing opportunity through an extraordinary community.
The collaborative philanthropy platform, ICONIQ Impact, convenes this network of passionate individuals and organizations to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges.
Guided by experts and affected populations, our model lowers the barriers to philanthropy, encourages collective action, and unlocks capital to channel it quickly and efficiently to proven, scalable solutions.
ICONIQ Impact Co-Labs are collaborative philanthropy funds addressing urgent challenges facing the world today.
Each Co-Lab enables donors to maximize their efficiency through co-funding while learning from experts and leaders of impacted communities.
About Co-Impact:
Co-Impact brings together local changemakers and funders from around the world to make health, education, and economic systems stronger and more inclusive.
Their commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s leadership is central to this goal.
