Girls make up 50% of the inhabitants, but the world round them is commonly designed for males. Whether or not it’s medical know-how, transportation or shopper devices, girls are too continuously an afterthought. However with femtech – or feminine know-how – the main focus is 100% on creating tech-enabled services designed particularly for ladies.
Femtech startups within the UK and internationally are growing progressive methods to enhance girls’s well being in areas such because the menopause, biometric monitoring, IVF, breastfeeding and psychological wellbeing.
Traders are more and more backing femtech startups, too. Based on Dealroom information, UK primarily based femtech startups raised $125m (£101m) in 2019, rising to $121m (£97.9m) in 2021 – albeit with a pointy drop to $29.3m (£23.7m) in 2020.
Whereas the US accounts for the lion’s share of femtech startups, the UK comes second in a market predicted to be price in extra of $75.1bn (£60.7bn) by 2025.
With all that in thoughts, listed here are 5 UK femtech startups to keep watch over.
Vira Well being
Founders: Andrea Berchowitz and Dr Rebecca Love
Yr based: 2020
Complete funding: $14m (£11.2m)
London-based Vira Well being focuses on girls’s healthcare and enhancing the gathering and use of feminine information in healthcare.
Its first product is a menopause subscription app referred to as Stella, which guides girls via menopause with tailor-made remedies primarily based on the consumer’s signs.
Final month Vira Well being raised £9m in a funding spherical so as to add new options to its menopause app, together with telehealth and prescriptions.
Forth
Founders: Sarah Bolt and Chris Baines
Yr based: 2014
Complete funding: $2.3m (£1.8m)
Situated in Chepstow, Wales, Forth is a biometric monitoring platform that allows folks to reside more healthy. It tracks over 50 inside biomarkers, this information is then reworked into graphics and proven to the consumer via a web based dashboard
In November final yr Forth had an funding of £1.6m, to launch its Feminine Hormone Mapping product, giving girls extra perception into their hormone fluctuations.
Gaia
Founder: Nader AlSalim
Yr based: 2019
Complete funding: $23m (£18.5m)
Insurance coverage firm Gaia gives financing on IVF remedies. The startup makes use of know-how to guess the likelihood of success with IVF.
If the IVF remedy doesn’t work, then the individual solely has to pay a share of the whole prices. When the remedy works it may be paid for in month-to-month instalments. Gaia additionally gives counsellor classes, medical embryologist entry and member help.
Based mostly in London, Gaia lately closed $20m in a Sequence A spherical led by Atomico and can use the capital to increase its operations.
Elvie
Founder: Tania Boler
Yr based: 2013
Complete funding: $144m (£116m)
Elvie is a London-headquartered agency that producers know-how {hardware} for ladies. The primary product by the corporate was the Elvie Coach, an app-connected Kegal coach. Adopted by the Elvie Pump a quiet, wi-fi electrical pump.
Final September it closed £70m in its Sequence C funding spherical to proceed diversifying its product vary.
Clementine
Founder: Kim Palmer
Yr based: 2017
Complete funding: $1.3m (£1m)
Clementine is a psychological well being app for ladies that makes use of hypnotherapy to decrease stress ranges and construct confidence. Within the subscription-based app there are sleep classes, confidence programs, anti-anxiety programs and mantras.
The app was created after founder Kim Palmer suffered with panic assaults throughout being pregnant.
Earlier within the yr, Clementine partnered with singer and songwriter Becky Hill to encourage younger folks on a journey to self-care.
Headquartered in London, Clementine raised $1.3m (£1m) in its seed funding spherical in October 2020.