What is femtech and why does it matter?

Femtech is a term used to describe the use of technology to improve women’s health and wellness.

This rapidly growing industry is focused on addressing the specific health needs and concerns of women, including reproductive health, fertility, menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause.

Femtech is a relatively new term, coined in 2016 by Ida Tin, the founder of Clue, a popular menstrual cycle tracking app.

Since then, the femtech industry has exploded, with hundreds of start-ups and established companies developing innovative products and services to improve women’s health and wellness.

According to a FemTech Analytics report, femtech hit £13bn in total industry funding in 2022 compared to less than £3m invested in femtech start-ups in 2009.

One of the primary goals of femtech is to help women better understand their bodies and make informed decisions about their health. This includes developing technologies to track and monitor menstrual cycles, ovulation and fertility and improve maternal health.

Other areas of focus for femtech include contraception, abortion care, oncology, menopause as well as mental health.

However, the femtech industry is not only focused on product development but also on addressing the gender gap in healthcare.

Historically, medical research has been heavily focused on men, and women’s health concerns have often been overlooked or dismissed.

By developing products and services specifically designed for women and advocating for greater inclusion of women in medical research, femtech companies are working to address the unique health needs and concerns of women and improve their overall quality of life.