The Future is FemTech: How Investing in Women’s Health Drives Financial and Social Returns

The FemTech market holds incredible potential for both health innovation and access, as well as financial returns. Yet, it has been historically underfunded: women were not included in Medical studies until 1993, and still only 4% of medical funding is allocated to the #1 cause of death for women – heart disease. Women-specific conditions like menopause have been almost entirely ignored until recently.

As reported recently by Forbes, Morgan Stanley, Silicon Valley Bank and others, investors are starting to take notice of the potential in the FemTech market. One of the Biden Administration’s final acts was to host a women’s health research conference at the white house – though the funding that was announced is now at risk.

While the private sector is increasingly addressing health challenges and gaps worldwide, there remains both stigma within women’s health, and a lack of understanding about the differentiated needs and opportunities the sector presents. Female founders are well aware that they still only receive 2% of VC funding overall. Despite all this, there is evidence that FemTech investments can drive high impact and returns.

This panel brings together experts working on different points along the FemTech spectrum: an entrepreneur, a doctor and health investment intermediary, a FemTech Fund Lead Venture Partner, and moderated by a strategist in private sector health delivery and catalytic capital.

Together we’ll address the following questions: What are the biggest funding needs and opportunities in FemTech? How can we increase investment into women’s health, particularly for early stage enterprises and those that target underserved populations? What are the potential returns – financial and social – for investing in women’s health? What are the biggest barriers to FemTech investment? How can we scale women’s health enterprises in ways that also consider place and population-specific needs?