Exploring Femtech: A Beginner's Journey

I was over 30 years old when I first heard the term ‘femtech’.

A subsect of healthtech industries, femtech is everywhere at the moment. It refers to a category of technology products and services that specifically target women's health and wellness needs.

You might have been femteched without realising it if you’ve purchased personalised supplements or used an app to track hormonal health.

Regardless of your gender or biological identity, femtech is good for everyone.?

As an employer, I've come to understand the impact of female-specific conditions on my team. Aside from the personal cost to individual sufferers, delayed diagnosis and inefficient treatments have a knock-on effect that hits team productivity, client satisfaction, and overall profits.

However, the challenges do not overshadow the opportunities. In 2024, the landscape is shifting, with increasing support and awareness for women's health in the workplace. (NB: We still have a long way to go.)

Historically there has always been disparity in healthcare and technology. Femtech seeks to address this, not just for women but for marginalised communities too.

I look around my own county and see huge opportunity for healthcare innovation if it can reach communities. Not only is my region ethnically diverse, it is also one of the most economically deprived and obese regions in the UK (Joanne Bloggs would say poor and fat).

I am intrigued by this puzzle:

How do we ensure that femtech solutions reach those who have historically been overlooked? How can we educate individuals and families about the transformative benefits of femtech, inspiring them to embrace proactive healthcare choices?

For example, I am incredibly excited about Nettle by Samphire NeuroScience. This is a wearable headset designed to reduce period pain and anxiety. However, I recognize that introducing Nettle to my community would result in scepticism and doubt. "What could an overpriced headband possibly do for me?" they might ask.

My aim for 2024 is to use my skills as a marketer to make femtech more accessible, especially for the communities around me.

Where would you like to see more femtech applications?