Issue 1: This is just the start for FemTech and women's health innovation
Something’s changing in women’s health, isn’t it?
Hi! Welcome to FutureFemHealth,
I’m Anna and this is my place to shine a spotlight on innovation in women's health and FemTech.
Whether you’re a founder, an investor, someone who works in women’s health / FemTech or are simply a fan, I’m glad you’re here to join me.
From fertility support to period tracking, bone health to pelvic health training, menopause to breastfeeding, there's so much happening right now with products and services that are actually built around the needs of women and non-binary people.
I want to find out more about the new ideas and solutions that are making women’s lives better - and share them with you too.
Because we need to cheer this amazing movement on together!
Why me?
I’m embarrassed to say I was nearly 40 years old before I started to truly question the status quo of women’s health.
I got interested in women's health and FemTech partly as a first-time mum (pelvic health trainers! breast pumps!) and because of my own experiences of IVF.
Then while on maternity leave I co-created a podcast and Festival for midlife women all about health and heard first-hand the shocking disservice happening to this day to women during perimenopause and menopause and the taboo and stigma that surrounds this phase of life.
I began to read more about women's health and learn about the historic lack of medical research and data, the lack of training for medical professionals, the chronic underfunding and indifference towards investment, and the long history of dismissal & trivialisation of women’s pain and suffering.
If you're reading this, I'm sure you may know that women's health is still considered a 'niche' area despite us comprising half the population.
And even now:
VCs invested just 1.9% of all investment in 2022 in female founders.
women's health and FemTech investment was just 6% of overall investment in digital health in 2022.
just 4% of the overall funding for research and development for healthcare products and services goes to women's health.
But change is happening.
One of the largest FemTech companies, Maven, is now valued at $1.35bn with more and more start-ups being founded in this space, growing and scaling too.
Funding for FemTech rose more than tenfold to $1.4bn in 2022 - up from $124mn in 2017.
And pressure is on policymakers and Governments to put more focus and resources into women's health - leading to the first Women's Health Strategy for England.
FutureFemHealth is here to explore all of this - as well as the ideas and the people behind it, how women's health is moving into the mainstream media narrative, how taboos and stigma are being broken down and much more.
You're very welcome to join me...
Anna x
PS, if you’re new here, let me know who you are either by replying to this email or by clicking on the poll below!