Girls make up 50% of the inhabitants, but the sector round them is steadily designed for males. Whether or not it’s clinical era, transportation or shopper units, ladies are too steadily an afterthought. However with femtech – or feminine era – the point of interest is 100% on growing tech-enabled services designed in particular for ladies.
Femtech startups in the United Kingdom and internationally are growing cutting edge tactics to fortify ladies’s well being in spaces such because the menopause, biometric monitoring, IVF, breastfeeding and psychological wellbeing.
Buyers are increasingly more backing femtech startups, too. In keeping with Dealroom data, UK founded femtech startups raised $125m (£101m) in 2019, emerging to $121m (£97.9m) in 2021 – albeit with a pointy drop to $29.3m (£23.7m) in 2020.
Whilst america accounts for the lion’s proportion of femtech startups, the United Kingdom comes 2d in a marketplace predicted to be value in way over $75.1bn (£60.7bn) by 2025.
With all that during thoughts, listed here are 5 UK femtech startups to keep watch over.
Vira Well being
Founders: Andrea Berchowitz and Dr Rebecca Love
12 months based: 2020
General investment: $14m (£11.2m)
London-based Vira Well being makes a speciality of ladies’s healthcare and bettering the collection and use of feminine information in healthcare.
Its first product is a menopause subscription app referred to as Stella, which guides ladies thru menopause with adapted remedies in accordance with the consumer’s signs.
Ultimate month Vira Well being raised £9m in a funding round so as to add new options to its menopause app, together with telehealth and prescriptions.
Forth
Founders: Sarah Bolt and Chris Baines
12 months based: 2014
General investment: $2.3m (£1.8m)
Situated in Chepstow, Wales, Forth is a biometric monitoring platform that allows other folks to reside more fit. It tracks over 50 inner biomarkers, this knowledge is then remodeled into graphics and proven to the consumer thru a web based dashboard
In November final 12 months Forth had an investment of £1.6m, to release its Feminine Hormone Mapping product, giving ladies extra perception into their hormone fluctuations.
Gaia
Founder: Nader AlSalim
12 months based: 2019
General investment: $23m (£18.5m)
Insurance coverage corporate Gaia provides financing on IVF remedies. The startup makes use of era to bet the likelihood of luck with IVF.
If the IVF remedy does no longer paintings, then the individual best has to pay a share of the whole prices. When the remedy works it may be paid for in per 30 days instalments. Gaia additionally supplies counsellor periods, clinical embryologist get right of entry to and member reinforce.
Primarily based in London, Gaia lately closed $20m in a Series A spherical led by way of Atomico and can use the capital to amplify its operations.
Elvie
Founder: Tania Boler
12 months based: 2013
General investment: $144m (£116m)
Elvie is a London-headquartered company that producers era {hardware} for ladies. The primary product by way of the corporate used to be the Elvie Teacher, an app-connected Kegal instructor. Adopted by way of the Elvie Pump a quiet, wi-fi electrical pump.
Ultimate September it closed £70m in its Series C funding round to proceed diversifying its product vary.
Clementine
Founder: Kim Palmer
12 months based: 2017
General investment: $1.3m (£1m)
Clementine is a psychological well being app for ladies that makes use of hypnotherapy to decrease tension ranges and construct self assurance. Within the subscription-based app there are sleep periods, self assurance classes, anti-anxiety classes and mantras.
The app used to be created after founder Kim Palmer suffered with panic assaults all over being pregnant.
Previous within the 12 months, Clementine partnered with singer and songwriter Becky Hill to inspire younger other folks on a adventure to self-care.
Headquartered in London, Clementine raised $1.3m (£1m) in its seed investment spherical in October 2020.
