The Future of Femtech + Menopause
Femtech is on the rise, with venture capital following it. Let’s discuss.
Over the past decade, Femtech has emerged as a rapidly growing sector within the healthcare industry, with the potential to transform the way women manage their health and wellness. Femtech refers to digital health solutions specifically designed for women's health needs, including fertility tracking, menstrual health management, pregnancy and postpartum care, and menopause support. For years, women’s health has been minimized, continues to be threatened by the government restricting access to reproductive health, raising concerns around menopause care, the Maternal Mortality Among Black Women, and ‘Medical Gaslighting’ in general, growing.
The Femtech industry has grown significantly in recent years, with a report by Frost & Sullivan estimating the market size to reach $50 billion by 2025. The rise in demand for Femtech solutions can be attributed to a variety of factors, including an increasing interest in personalized healthcare, a growing awareness of the unique health needs of women, and a shift towards preventative care. There are many good articles to read, veteran women experts, and healthcare professionals to follow, so I am linking them below as a starting point. To further be inspired, here is a wonderful list of 200 Trailblazing Leaders in Women’s Health and FemTech, and a good podcast ‘FemTech Focus’ hosted by Brittany Barreto, Ph.D. who did a fantastic end of year round up on the state of the industry + the research page.
One area of Femtech that has seen significant advancements is fertility tracking. In the past, women who were trying to conceive had limited options for tracking their ovulation and identifying their most fertile days. However, with the development of smart wearables and mobile apps, women can now track their menstrual cycles and fertility in real-time, providing them with greater control over their reproductive health.
Another area of Femtech that has gained significant attention from investors is menstrual health management. Menstrual products, such as tampons and pads, have remained largely unchanged for decades, but the rise of menstrual cups, period underwear, and other innovative products have disrupted the market. Companies like Thinx and Flex have seen significant success in this space, with Thinx raising $32 million in funding and Flex raising $4 million in seed funding.
Pregnancy and postpartum care have also been a focus of Femtech companies. Innovative solutions like Peanut, a social network for mothers, and Nurx, a telemedicine platform for birth control and emergency contraception, have raised significant funds and received widespread recognition. Perhaps the most significant advancement in Femtech in recent years has been the increasing interest from investors. In 2019, Femtech startups raised a record-breaking $592 million in funding, more than double the amount raised in 2018. The increase in funding can be attributed to a growing recognition of the importance of investing in solutions that address women's health needs and the potential for significant returns on investment.
With increased investment, Femtech companies can continue to develop innovative solutions that meet the unique health needs of women and transform the healthcare industry as a whole. Here are just a few reads to get you started:
Menopause
NY Times: Women Have Been Misled About Menopause
FemTech investments
Despite 2022’s headwinds, women’s health startups did better than ever before
Anne Hathaway backs Pact, an all-women led VC for mission-driven startups, from West to East
Mexican femtech Plenna raises a $4.4M seed-round for women’s health platform
More than 100 VC firms join VCs for Repro coalition to support reproductive rights
Sextech: Not to be forgotten, this area is growing in terms of women entrepreneurship too, and a good place to start to learn more is with Bryony Cole
BONUS: While there are so many newsletters, podcasts, and youtube videos with speakers, I recently took this wonderful course at Stanford via Coursera: International Women’s Health and Human Rights
Now the perfect set up to talking about women’s health and menopause, with this brilliant scene from ‘Fleabag’ season two:
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