💌 Four new funding rounds | SPRIND finalists | PMOS cardiovascular risk
+ lots more in the weekly global briefing on women's health innovation and femtech
Welcome to issue #156 of FutureFemHealth (w/c 29 July 2026) – the market intelligence and media platform for the women’s health industry. This is our free weekly global briefing, trusted by nearly 10,000 investors, innovators and ecosystem leaders.
If you thought summer meant a quieter women’s health market, think again. July has already surpassed June for funding announcements we’ve tracked, with four new rounds in this week's briefing.
🌟 In this week’s briefing:
🩸 Menstrual health supplement startup DITTO raises US$6 million seed round
🏆 Hormone-free contraceptive Elle MD secures C$1.1 million pre-seed
✅ SPRIND announces finalists for continuous hormone monitoring challenge
❤️ Largest US study links PMOS (formerly PCOS) to significantly higher cardiovascular risk.
Share your news: anna@futurefemhealth.com
💰 Capital flows
📌 UK: Menstrual health supplement startup DITTO raises US$6 million seed round. Unlike many supplement brands, DITTO places a heavy emphasis on research and clinical evidence for its range which aims to support PMS and PMDD. Next up is a systematic review into the links between PMDD and ADHD and a larger clinical trial. FoodLabs led this round with Eka Ventures returning too. (Continue reading: Tech Funding News)
📌 CANADA: Contraceptive medtech startup Elle MD raises C$1.1 million pre-seed. The appeal of hormone-free contraception is avoiding the side effects of existing birth control methods. Elle’s hormone-free vaginal contraceptive ‘Livv’ ring device is now moving into clinical testing ahead of regulatory approval. The round was backed by H Venture Partners, Invest Nova Scotia, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) and others. (Continue reading: Betakit)
📌 US: The American Baby Company raises US$4 million seed to expand affordable IVF model. High costs continue to be the main barrier to treatment in the fertility industry. The American Baby Company is betting on its lower-cost IVF model, offering a full treatment cycle, including medications, for $8,995 - well below the US average. The company will use the funding to launch its first clinic in West Palm Beach and expand access to more affordable fertility care. This round was led by Wormhole Capital and Tower Research Ventures. (Continue reading: Refresh Miami)
📌 DENMARK: Flow Intimates raises DKK 1 million (~US$155k) to expand reusable menstrual health brand. Founded in 2022, Flow introduced period underwear to the Danish market and now plans to use the funding to grow its product portfolio across menstruation, postpartum and incontinence, while supporting international expansion. Angelo & Co. Invest funded this round. (Continue reading: TechSavvy)
🌟 Industry moves and strategic shifts
📌 GERMANY: SPRIND selects eight teams for €40 million Continuous Hormone Monitoring Challenge. It’s been one of the most anticipated initiatives in women’s health and now the SPRIND CHM challenge has reached its next milestone - with eight teams chosen from 68 applicants to develop biosensors capable of continuously tracking multiple hormones. The selected teams include Level Zero Health, Molesense and Impli, and span startups, universities and deep-tech companies, with up to €1.5 million in Stage 1 funding available per team. They’ll now work to develop the first clinically-viable continuous hormone monitoring platform. (Continue reading: SPRIND)
📌 US: UC Davis Health launches pilot of at-home cervical cancer screening. At-home HPV testing has secured regulatory approval - and now it’s time to make sure it can integrate into routine care. This pilot explores how health systems can incorporate self-collection into screening - and importantly whether these kits can improve participation. UC Davis Health is partnering with Teal Health to offer eligible women FDA-authorised at-home HPV test kits. (Continue reading: UC Davis Health)
📌 US: Roche receives FDA clearance for bacterial vaginosis and candida vaginitis PCR test. Two of the most common causes of vaginitis present with similar symptoms so diagnosis can be tricky. Roche believes its newly cleared PCR test can change that because it identifies the bacteria and yeast responsible for the two most common causes from a single vaginal sample. Compared with traditional diagnostic methods such as microscopy, pH testing and clinical assessment, it also aims to improve diagnostic accuracy while further expanding Roche’s women’s sexual health diagnostics portfolio. (Continue reading: Medical-Device Network)
🔒 The peptide precedent: what women’s health should really be watching
It’s been hard to escape the noise around peptides over last week, especially following the FDA panel's recommendation to reduce restrictions on them.
But the bigger story for women's health isn't peptides themselves. It's actually what they are revealing about the industry, and the commercial decisions they're forcing companies to make.
In this week’s FutureFemHealth Pro we explore what happens when consumer demand, wellness and healthcare continues to blur together in women's health, and the commercial and clinical decisions women's health companies are starting to have to make.
🩸 Research and women’s health news
📌 Global: Largest US study links PMOS (formerly PCOS) to significantly higher cardiovascular risk. PMOS is finally being recognised as a lifelong metabolic and cardiovascular condition - not just a reproductive disorder. This Penn Medicine-led analysis of more than 2 million women found that those with PMOS had substantially higher risks of heart attacks, strokes and other forms of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease - even after accounting for traditional risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension. It highlights the need too for routine cardiovascular monitoring in affected women. (Continue reading: Penn Medicine)
📄 Policy watch: risks and opportunities
📌 UK: New Health Secretary makes maternity care an early priority with £4.5 million investment. Just days into the role, Yvette Cooper has announced £4.5 million for maternity and neonatal services at Royal Berkshire Hospital, describing safe maternity care as “one of her most important priorities”. The funding forms part of a wider £112 million programme (previously announced) to improve maternity safety following the Amos Review, including infrastructure upgrades and the creation of England’s first maternity and neonatal commissioner. (Continue reading: BBC News)
That’s all for this week! If you’ve missed any previous newsletter issues catch them all at futurefemhealth.com and do make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and you can connect with me directly.
Anna
