We began by investigating five focus areas outlined in our urbanization handbook where the most pressing challenges for children intersect with the greatest opportunities  for technology-based solutions. These are: infrastructure, human mobility, basic services, violence and hazards, and connectivity and information.

We focused this work on cities because they are catalytic for innovation and serve to demonstrate the most promising markets. We think the next big tech play is just as likely to happen in Nairobi as in San Francisco. The three cities we conducted research in were Jakarta, Mexico City and Nairobi.

By learning directly from users about their needs, seeing first hand how technologies are directly improving their lives, sizing local and global markets, and speaking with exciting innovators we came up with 6 big tech bets that represent the most compelling opportunities that we think tech actors should pay attention to now.