The once uncomfortable topic for many has now become the perfect opportunity to profit. Technology for women’s health has become the new trend, so much so that it has been given its own nickname, ‘Femtech’.
Have investors been missing out?
It seems that feelings of discomfort and embarrassment from a male dominated industry may have caused missed opportunities. With investors still be mostly men it seems they are daunted or put off by the prospect of talking about menopause at meetings or other subjects considered taboo. However this does seem to be changing, perhaps partly to more women joining investment firms.
In 2018 Frost and Sullivan estimated that the Femtech industry will be worth $50bn by 2025.
Women do, after all, make up 50% of the population
Femtech is tapping into a market that has been ignored for so long, and they are doing it well. The statistics prove that these businesses are thriving and their market is huge. Femtech has something for almost all women whether it is birth control apps, menstrual trackers, pelvic trainers or breast pumps, you name it and Femtech companies are making millions from it.
Women are 75% more likely to use digital tools for healthcare than men
In Europe, companies such as Ava, which produces sensor bracelets that allow women to determine when they are most fertile, have raised €42m to date. Berlin based company Clue which has created a menstrual tracking app has also raised €29.7m since its creation in 2012. It is all overseas here in the UK, Elvie, who develop pelvic trainers and silent breast pumps, has gained £32m in venture capital in the past few months.
Femtech isn’t all about profit
These companies are not only generating major profit, many also aim to make women’s healthcare more accessible and less taboo. Elvie is providing pelvic trainers to the NHS which could result in a reduction of £233m per year from the NHS budget.
With women’s movements and conversations about women’s health becoming more prominent the rise of Femtech has tapped into a huge market at the best time possible and it is only going to continue to grow.