WHAM launches 'Innovator's Circle' network to speed up women's health innovation
12+ women's health-focused investment funds join as founding members
More than a dozen women’s health-focused investment funds are signed up as founding members of a new network to catalyze early-stage innovation and forge strategic investment pathways in the sector.
‘The Innovator’s Circle’ is a newly-launched initiative from the non-profit WHAM (Women’s Health Access Matters). The Circle is designed to spotlight early-stage innovation, surface emerging trends, shape investment strategies, and build a more aligned funding pipeline by connecting with WHAM’s multibillion-dollar investment partners through the WHAM Investment Collaborative. Together, these partners will strengthen investment pathways for breakthrough solutions in areas such as cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, autoimmune disease, and more.
“The Innovator’s Circle is more than a network—it’s a platform to accelerate groundbreaking ideas into market-ready solutions,” said Carolee Lee, CEO and Founder of WHAM.
“By aligning early-stage investors with later-stage capital partners, we’re unlocking exponential opportunity for returns—and real health impact.”
WHAM Innovator’s Circle Founding Members are listed as AHA Go Red for Women Venture Fund; Amboy Street Ventures; Avestria; Catalytic Impact Foundation; Coyote Ventures; Cross Border Impact Ventures; Digital DX Ventures; Emmeline Ventures; Foreground Capital; Goddess Gaia Ventures; Kaya Ventures; Kidron Capital; March of Dimes; Next Ventures; NextBlue; Seae Ventures; Swizzle Ventures; The Sparrow Fund; US Fertility; Zeal.
Naseem Sayani, Operating Advisor at How Women Invest and Advisor at Tower Capital, will serve as Director of the Innovator’s Circle. A recognized leader in advancing women’s health ventures, Sayani brings deep expertise, visionary leadership, and strong connectivity to guide this powerful collective through its next phase of impact.
“This is the pipeline engine,” said Naseem Sayani, Director of the Innovator’s Circle.
“The Innovator’s Circle brings together the investors best positioned to recognize early innovation and builds the bridge to capital scale.”
Despite women making up half the global population and driving the majority of healthcare decisions and spending, companies focused on women’s health still receive only 2% of healthcare venture capital funding. WHAM and the Innovator’s Circle aim to change that - by advancing the capital, connectivity, and coordination required to transform the women’s health investment landscape.
The Innovator’s Circle is the latest addition to WHAM’s suite of Collaboratives, including a research collaborative and a life sciences collaborative.