News
California-based company unveils ‘smart’ ring for women
The ring aims to give women a full picture of their health by turning biometric data into personalised insights
The US healthcare company Movano Health has announced a new wearable to help women track and monitor their health.
According to the developers, the smart ring is an intelligent device that provide users with medical grade health data translated into personalised insights on an app.
Evie combines health and wellness metrics and aims to give women a full picture of their health, monitoring and tracking resting heart rate, heart rate variability, SpO2, respiration rate, skin temperature variability, period and ovulation, menstrual symptoms as well as activity and mood.
The company says the app simplifies findings and turns biometric data into actionable insights to help women make manageable lifestyle changes and take a more proactive approach to mitigating the risks of chronic disease.
“As a medical device, Evie will go beyond the status quo of other wearables on the market, and we believe it has the power to transform women’s lives and overall health,” said Dr John Mastrototaro, CEO of Movano Health.
“We are bringing together medical grade biometric data and insights in a comfortable and contemporary wearable that allows women to take ownership of their unique health journey.”
In December, Movano announced successful preliminary results of its hypoxia trial to assess the accuracy of the smart ring’s blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate data.
Now, the company plans to file for FDA clearance of Evie and make it the first consumer wearable that is also approved as a medical device.
“We are deeply committed to developing wearable devices that go beyond the status quo and give all consumers, regardless of gender and ethnicity, a higher level of confidence and trust in their health data,” Mastrototaro added.
“Clearance of a wearable device requires extensive investment in research and development, and it has been a central goal of ours since the beginning. Providing medical-grade heart rate and SpO2 data in the future will position us to help users better predict, prevent and understand health issues.
“FDA approval remains one of the top priorities for our smart ring and the outstanding preliminary results we received from our pivotal study are extremely exciting.”
Evie will be unveiled during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 alongside a demo showcasing its features.
The ring, expected to cost around US$300, will be launching this year and it will be available in sizes 5-11.
Applications close 2 September at 12pm BST for W Accelerate with Merck KGaA and M Ventures, a fast-track programme offering startups, scaleups and spinouts in reproductive and maternal health direct access to decision-makers at one of the world’s leading reproductive health companies.
With a single application, innovators connect with Merck KGaA’s partnership team and investment professionals from M Ventures, Merck’s corporate venture arm.
Selected companies will be notified on 11 September and invited to pitch at W Accelerate in London, at One Hundred Shoreditch, on 5 October.
During the event, they will receive a private 30-minute session with Merck and M Ventures leadership, small-group guidance from regulation and investment specialists, an “Ask Merck Anything” roundtable, and access to a VIP networking reception.
Applications are open to companies working on breakthrough solutions across reproductive and maternal health, including fertility, endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovarian health, preeclampsia and pregnancy comorbidities.
Applicants can choose one of three lanes, depending on whether they’re seeking strategic collaboration, investment, or both: Partnership Lane, Investment Lane, or Dual Lane. Direct-to-consumer and over-the-counter products are outside the programme’s scope.
Thang Vo-Ta, CEO & co-founder of Calla Lily Clinical Care and participant of a previous edition of W Accelerate with Merck Healthcare and M Ventures, said: “The opportunity to pitch directly to senior leadership at Merck and M Ventures sparked conversations that became the foundation of relationships leading to our eventual strategic collaboration with Merck. I’ve yet to see another event run with this level of excellence.”
For more information, visit W Group’s website: wplatform.co
Applications close 2nd September 2026, 12pm BST
W Accelerate event: 5th October 2026 at One Hundred Shoreditch, London (travel and accommodation not provided)
Apply here
The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), the event uniting the global women’s health ecosystem, has just announced 18 new speakers joining the agenda for its 2026 summit, taking place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor.
The latest additions bring further depth across pharma, clinical research, health systems, venture, and policy, reinforcing WHIS’s role as the only platform where the full women’s health ecosystem convenes under one roof.
Newly confirmed speakers include:
- Kelle Moley, MD – VP, Women’s Health Early Phase Clinical Development, Cardiometabolic Research, Eli Lilly & Company
- Justine Levin-Allerhand – Executive Partner, Chief Corporate Development Officer & COO, Flagship Labs, Flagship Pioneering
- Sebnem Yildirimoglu, MD, PMP – Executive Director, Women’s Health Strategy, Premier Research
- Terri Stewart – Head of Global Healthcare & Government Affairs, EMD Serono
- Dr. Morag Grassie – Executive Director, Blavatnik Fund for Innovation, Yale
- Sandra Butler – Director, Design Impact, Mass General Brigham
- Zhenya Lindgardt – Chief Executive Officer, Sera Prognostics
- Sadie Morahan – Head of US Revenue, Withings Health Solutions
- Angela Drew, PhD – Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Premier Research
- Dr. Stephanie Lahr – CMIO, Aqurio
- Michelle Andrews – Contributing Writer, KFF Health News
- Charlotte Williams – CEO, My Bump Hub
- Clint Dart, MS – Director, NIH Women’s Health Data Coordinating Center, Premier Research
- Cass Sanford – US Venture Advisor, FemTech Lab
- Megan Mukuria – Founder & CEO, ZanaAfrica
- Tiffany Inglis, MD, FACOG – Chief Medical Officer, Sera Prognostics
- Angelean Hendrix, PhD – Vice President, Pharmacometrics and MIDD, Premier Research
- Amanda Ducach – CEO & Co-founder, EmaEQ
“WHIS is where the women’s health industry comes together to take action,” said Poppy Howard-Wall, Event Director at WHIS.
“This latest wave of speakers reflects exactly the kind of cross-sector expertise our attendees expect – from global pharma and clinical research leadership to venture, health systems, and grassroots innovation.
“It’s this breadth that makes WHIS the room where things actually move forward.”
Bringing the Full Ecosystem Together
These additions join a growing 2026 agenda spanning four content tracks that reflect the full lifecycle of healthcare innovation, from early-stage research and development through to patient delivery, system transformation, and commercial scale.
Attendees can expect over 1,000 senior decision-makers, 120+ expert speakers, four dedicated stages, and more than 10 hours of curated 1:1 meetings.
Full speaker and agenda details are available at whisusa.com/speakers-2026.
About WHIS
The Women’s Health Innovation Summit is the only platform uniting the full women’s health ecosystem – providers, payers, employers, pharma leaders, investors, and innovators -to increase deal flow, expand reimbursement, improve access, and deliver better outcomes for women at every stage of life.
Millions of women who have missed cervical screening in England will be offered free NHS home HPV tests.
The initiative is aimed at women who are not up to date with screening, with NHS estimates suggesting as many as 4 million have fallen behind.
The home kits contain a swab for collecting a vaginal sample, which is returned to the NHS free of charge and tested in a laboratory for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).
If high-risk HPV is detected through a home test, patients will be asked to attend a cervical screening appointment with a clinician.
HPV is a group of viruses that can be passed on through sexual contact and cause no symptoms. About 13 high-risk types are known to cause 99.7 per cent of cervical cancers.
Starting on Tuesday, eligible women aged between 30 and 65 who have not attended screening appointments will receive invitations through the NHS app, text message, email or letter.
They will then be able to order a testing kit through the NHS app or website.
The scheme is part of the NHS’s target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
Dr Sue Mann, national clinical director for women’s health at NHS England, said: “Screening saves thousands of lives each year by preventing cancers and catching them earlier, but only around two-thirds of women are attending cervical screening appointments when invited by the NHS.
“Offering millions of women an alternative test they can do from the comfort of their own homes will be a gamechanger – making it easier than ever for them to get tested for HPV.”
Women aged between 24 and 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years, or more often if HPV is detected.
NHS England figures show 68.8 per cent of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening, below the 80 per cent target.
Mann said: “There are lots of reasons that may stop women from getting their cervical screening – embarrassment, lack of time, or worries about discomfort – and these kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test.
“So, if you’re invited to take part, please order a test – it’s a simple swab you can do at home in minutes.”
Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, welcomed the move, saying that self-testing at home would be a “step-change” for many women.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Cervical screening is a powerful tool that saves lives – it can prevent cervical cancer or spot it at an earlier stage when treatment is more likely to be successful.
“While it’s best for cervical screening to be done by a nurse or doctor, there are barriers that make it challenging for some people to attend. At-home HPV self-testing kits will help more people take part in a way that works for them.”
Health secretary Yvette Cooper said the aim was to make it as easy and convenient as possible for women to keep up with their screening.
She said: “This is the future NHS we are building – there for all of us when we need it, and acting as early as possible to stop preventable deaths.”
Entrepreneur2 weeks agoApplications close August 18 for Women’s Health Innovation Summit 2026 Innovation Showcase
Menopause2 weeks agoThird of women unaware of perimenopause mental health impact
Wellness1 week agoChelsea FC Women to launch first-of-its-kind player fertility fund
Menopause2 weeks agoMenopausal hormone therapy may lower dementia risk, study suggests
Opinion1 week agoanna perimenopause app launches across 39 markets
Pregnancy2 weeks agoChemicals in plastics may be linked to high blood pressure during pregnancy
News2 weeks agoWomen with endometriosis face 46% higher risk of type 2 diabetes – study
Sponsored Content6 days agoThe perfect ‘period pair’: WUKA launches first-ever Teen Starter Kit in Tesco
Pingback: Movano Health launches smart health tracking ring for women - FemTech World