Flouria’s Post

In the past decade, investment in #femtech, software and services targeting women’s health, has accelerated. Venture capitalists poured almost $4.9bn into femtech in the three years to March 2024. That figure, from March 2021 to 2024, shows a jump of about two-thirds compared with the previous three-year period, according to PitchBook data. Read more in the Financial Times 👇

While the landscape of venture capital is evolving, with a notable surge in investments towards women's health startups, the struggles Chiyo faced in securing funding underscores the importance of the presence of women in investing. The increase in femtech investments that we have seen so far highlights the critical role of diversity in investment decisions. Traditionally, male-dominated venture environments might overlook the potential of health innovations that benefit women, not fully recognizing their market value or impact. It's crucial for the industry to support and amplify the voices and projects of women, ensuring equitable opportunities and fostering groundbreaking advancements in women’s health. What strategies can venture capitalists implement to broaden their perspectives and include more women-led initiatives in their portfolios? #WomensHealth #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #HealthcareInnovation

A recent monumental milestone for the femtech industry: Flo Health secured $200M in funding, achieving a valuation of over $1 billion as the world's first femtech unicorn. It’s important to acknowledge both the progress and the paradoxes within this achievement. Flo Health, a platform empowering women with vital health insights, was founded by two male cofounders. 🤔 This brings to light a critical discussion about representation and inclusivity in the femtech space. While their contribution is commendable, it underscores the necessity for more female founders and leaders in industries that primarily serve women. As the founder of BAD BITCH EMPIRE dedicated to breaking down barriers for women in business and investing, I see this as a call to action. We need more women at the helm of innovative solutions addressing our unique health needs. It's not just about creating products for women; it's about ensuring these products are driven by the voices and experiences of women themselves. This historic funding round proves that femtech is not only vital but also a lucrative market. Now, let's channel this momentum to elevate more female entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders who can drive the next wave of femtech innovations. #Femtech #WomenInTech #FemaleFounders #InvestInWomen https://lnkd.in/euwbhqVB

While the landscape of venture capital is evolving, with a notable surge in investments towards women's health startups, the struggles @chiyo faced in securing funding underscores the importance of the presence of women in investing. The increase in femtech investments that we have seen so far highlights the critical role of diversity in investment decisions. Traditionally, male-dominated venture environments might overlook the potential of health innovations that benefit women, not fully recognizing their market value or impact. It's crucial for the industry to support and amplify the voices and projects of women, ensuring equitable opportunities and fostering groundbreaking advancements in women’s health. What strategies can venture capitalists implement to broaden their perspectives and include more women-led initiatives in their portfolios? #WomensHealth #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #HealthcareInnovation

First lady Jill Biden on Wednesday announced a $100 million commitment to bolstering "life-changing" women's health research and development during a visit to a venture capital firm. The funding will support the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Sprint for Women's Health, Biden said, as elected officials urged the private sector to join in the federal government's ambitious research endeavor. The investment is part of The White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, which Biden is helping to lead. The effort aims to close long-standing research gaps in women's health and accelerate innovation. The first lady lamented that women's health has been chronically underfunded, leaving researchers with scant insight into the diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

Fertility and other female health technology start-ups have attracted billions from investors seeking to tap a $36bn market of women from puberty to menopause, but privacy fears risk curbing growth. Venture capitalists poured almost $4.9bn into femtech in the last 3 years. However, a lack of transparency on data privacy is a prime reason for investors to shun some of the latest femtech start-ups. #startups #femtech #invest #VC #technology #innovation https://archive.ph/sjyfK

Innovation is not just about breakthrough science and technology... it also takes part in creating a more inclusive world 🫂 "While technology advances at breakneck speed, it is often designed for – and by – people who have similar abilities, backgrounds and experiences. When innovation is only powered by a few people, for a few people, it will almost inevitably crash headfirst into cultural and social barriers." - Ben Harrison, Marketing Business Partner at CPI In this blog, Ben tells us more about innovations that are creating products that are 'inclusive by design' ➡️ https://lnkd.in/epTaTx32 #PrideMonth | #Inclusivity | #Diversity #LetsInnovateTogether | #Innovation | #Pride

Huge congratulations to the team at Flo Health Inc. on becoming Europe's first "Femtech" unicorn!! Since the announcement, there's been so much negative commentary on social media, that this is a women's health company founded by men, that I feel compelled to comment. Could the investment community do better to fund female founders? Sure. But investment is not a zero-sum game. The fact that the Flo founders are male that does not diminish from this remarkable achievement, nor does it close opportunities for others. Quite the reverse. This deal is great for the sector, and for the health of women - we should view it positively. To all the people who are feeling disappointed, here's an alternative perspective to consider: A male founding team has dedicated a decade of their 'professional prime time' to making a difference to > 70m womens' health. As founders, they are devoting their lives to focus on a pain point that they will never experience personally, but will impact their families, colleagues and friends. This is truly incredible. At Peppy, we say that women's health isn't just something that affects women. It's an issue for all of us. For me, as a female co-founder, I know that Peppy would not even have been started, or got to where it is, without the dedication of my male co-founders Evan Harris and Max Landry. I'm hugely grateful for their commitment, as well as their eagerness to discuss menstruation, miscarriages and ED with total strangers! Peppy couldn't have happened without some kick-ass women, but it definitely would never have happened without the men in its life. Does it have to be male founders to get to unicorn status? No. We have seen great female founders who have done it. Does the business have to perform strongly, in markets that justify great valuations? Yes, and Flo have done this. As well as helping millions of users, Flo have created employment and growth opportunities for the innumerable women in their organisation. They have built the business to attract the interest of world class investors and hit a milestone for European healthtech. Huge kudos to Dmitry Gurski and Yuri Gurski for that. It paves the way for others, whoever they are, to drive the next wave of change in women's health. Bravo! https://lnkd.in/eadiYuC2

50% of the global population are mostly inadequately represented in research: women. Their monthly hormonal cycles are less studied than men’s daily cycles and the corresponding conclusions on well-being therefore often fall short. But there is a new wave of #femtech coming which aims to broaden the coverage for women, even outside #healthcare. The companies working in the space mostly focus on menstrual cycles, menopause, and pregnancy and motherhood, often finding simple solutions to challenges that have simply been ignored in the past. The article below does a great job of highlighting both the innovation that is being done in the space as well as the continued awareness needed to fund the endeavors. Let’s hope to see more well-funden #healthtech start-ups that focus on women’s needs.

Flo Health Inc. is the first purely digital consumer women’s health app to achieve unicorn status. We celebrate this achievement as a victory for women’s health, and its testament to the growing recognition of the importance of women’s healthcare. Historically, women’s health has been neglected and under-represented in medical research, and conditions that affect women understudied. To this day, women’s health is massively underfunded and conditions like endometriosis take an average of 7.5 years to get diagnosed in the UK. It is inspiring to see an app like Flo Health, committed to supporting women in their health. 👏 While we celebrate this milestone, it is crucial to acknowledge the persistent gender gap in the startup world; Flo Health is the first consumer women’s health app to achieve unicorn status, but it is owned, led and invested in by men. According to Harvard Business Review (2023), only 3% of VC funding goes to women. 🤯 In comparison, men receive 6 x more funding than women (Startups 100 Index, 2023). 💰 And yet, startups with a female founder or co-founder perform 63% better for their VC investors (Firstround). 🤔 According to BCG, start-ups with at least one female founder produced 78 cents in revenue for every dollar of investment raised, in comparison to only 31 cents for male-led start-ups. Imagine a world where women had equal access to capital to create innovative health solutions serving their own health and bodies. The potential impact on women’s lives would be immeasurable. #womenshealth #womenintech #womenfounders #womenentrepreneurs