How FemTech is reshaping the future
In 2016, Ida Tin, founder of Clue, coined the phrase ‘FemTech’. It initially began as a passing phrase to help innovators, clinicians and investors roughly categorise technology for the female body.
Yet a decade later, the term has stuck, and the industry has boomed. What started as niche and isolated to wellness has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the MedTech space.
But why is it growing so rapidly? And how important is it really?
Historically, clinical research and device standards relied on a baseline - a white, typically Eurocentric male, approximately 70-80kg. Routinely excluding women due to factors like concerns over reproductive safety and hormone fluctuations created a persistent gap in clinical data. As modern technology advanced, accurate design simply couldn’t follow suit where data remained poor and limited.
As such, diagnostics and device calibrations were not able to perform accurately when the baseline data was not built for the end user.
For a sector that increasingly relies on continuous monitoring and data-driven insights, women still make up a small percentage of all data. Limiting data naturally leads to more experimentation, and increased chances of clinical error when operated by a ‘trial and error’ style management. As the sector is also structurally underfunded, it becomes even harder for women of all generations to access quality healthcare, made for them.
But developing the world of FemTech goes beyond just securing funding and finding some extra pieces of data. It requires intentional design that puts accurate research and distinct human biology first. Algorithms must be adaptive, and innovators must prioritise proactive stress-testing for the dynamic human body before products reach markets.
As we shift towards human-centric design, we must look closely at what this definition actually entails - ensuring medical technology is truly built for everyone.
Pavanpreet Gohani - Biomedical Editor
Sources https://www.worldhealthexpo.com/insights/medical-technology/what-s-trending-in-femtech-in-2026- https://www.venquis.com/why-is-femtech-still-underfunded/ https://www.uk-cpi.com/insights/femtech-closing-the-healthcare-gender-gap https://newmarketpitch.com/blogs/news/femtech-list-deals