Hannah Swinson’s Post

Is male-founded Flo Health Inc.'s record $200m funding a win for femtech? 🔎 When period-tracking app Flo secured a record $200m (£156m) investment this week, it set a record for the joint-largest fundraise for a femtech company. But it also sparked a lively debate in startup and VC circles because the women’s health startup is founded and led by men. “Yesterday, a company founded by men, led by men, and funded by men became the first WOMEN’S health app to achieve unicorn status,” said investor and co-founder of Female Invest, a subscription-based edtech platform, Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, in a LinkedIn post. “If this doesn’t show you everything that’s wrong with the ecosystem, I don’t know what will.” ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ec_-GAQ4 🔗 #femtech #womenintech #unicorn #edtech #healthtech #womenshealth #UKtech

Deals for startups catering to women’s and reproductive health have already surpassed 2023’s total deal value, according to PitchBook data. So far this year, $980 million has been deployed across 64 deals, up from the previous year’s total of $840 million from 94 deals. While the percent of venture capital funding invested in health care companies that has gone to women’s health companies still hovers at only about 2%, positive trends in women’s health funding continue. Now is the time to embed health equity in women’s health innovation and prioritize outcomes for historically marginalized populations. https://lnkd.in/dxvMDuhw #HealthEquity #WomensHealth #ReproductiveHealth #Healthcare #VentureCapital #StartUps

Surrounded by smart, talented, resilient women while also constantly being reminded of the challenges we face in funding and the world at large. We hold this every day. Despite progress, fem-tech remains severely underfunded at below 1%. Sexual health education included. We were selected as one of top 5 candidates to pitch this June 21st to Cap Inclusive and Femtech Canada to pitch Likely Story and improve education for teens. The winner will gain a 10 K prize and earn business support from MaRS Discovery District, The Forum , BDO and others to name a few. We hope to change this statistic and keep building this game to support our future generations. This is not overly sanctimonious statement: We all win and rise no matter who takes the prize. We are in awe of every single pitch-leader raising their voices and doing INCREDIBLE work. Please check out these absolutely inspiring female founders doing mind-blowing stuff to change this statistic alongside us in no particular order: - Latchmi Raghunanan, Ph.D. Maman Biomedical is redefining fertility treatment moving away from needles to gels and patches - Dallas Barnes Reya Health is personalizing contraceptive counselling - Ellie Hong Revival Physiotherapy is dedicated to optimal pelvic floor therapy - Leisa Hirtz is changing our relationship to our periods with a boil-free antibacterial menstrual Bfree Cup These are the leaders we need more of. Just being on a panel alongside these incredible minds and hearts is an honour. While significant investments in female-led AI startups are promising, they can give a misleading sense of rapid progress. The increase in startup investments going to female-founded companies — rising to 15% in 2022 — is largely driven by a few billion-dollar rounds raised by AI companies with female co-founders. (See CrunchBase's latest article on the New Peak : https://lnkd.in/edgx9sr8) Change is happening, and there's still a long way to go. Thank you to Florencia Boronat Roxanne Leduc Randeep Purewal, MBA whose leadership fuels bringing us together and turning DEI into ROI. See you on the 21st!

An excellent article, highlighting how the underrepresentation of women in venture capital firms is adversely affecting the fundraising efforts of women's health companies addressing stigmatized conditions... This piece follows multiple founders and exectives of #womensdigitalhealth companies, as they tackle the above issue, one being Priyanka Jain, who is the Co-Founder and CEO of Evvy, a first-of-it's-kind vaginal microbiome test and care company. Priyanka speaks of the questions she was faced with when securing funding: ❓What’s a yeast infection? ❓Is it really that frustrating? ❓Is this really a problem? Discover her approach and how she emerged successfully from the situation... 👇 https://lnkd.in/eeCQS5nh

Calling all Women’s Health startups in Denmark/Nordics 📣📣   Running a startup can feel like juggling a dozen things at once, and let's face it, not all of us are octopuses 🐙 Sometimes a helping hand can be quite a lifesaver… Therefore, our two superwomen DeepTech Fund Director Marianne and DeepTech Fund Analyst Agnethe are hosting our #OpenDoor session on June 7th, ready to guide and prep Women’s Health founders for whatever twists and turns the future might throw their way 📈📉   Women’s Health has gained momentum the past years, fuelled by a growing awareness of women’s healthcare needs, and the rise of research and deep technology within this area.   HOWEVER 🚨 In Sie Ventures' European FemTech report, the industry is still heavily male-dominated, and the USA is outperforming Europe fourfold in funding of Women’s Health. Why? Because women's health research is lacking in funding here in Europe -> Denmark.   As you might sense- this is an important matter! Here at #PSVDeepTech, we're ready to lean in and unlock the huge potential within Women’s Health startups 💪👱♀️(ex. ‘Red’ BioTech). Our focus areas are within:   🌀Mature sub-market - encompassing maternal health, fertility, and menstrual health    🌀Opportunity sub-market involving menopause, women-specific chronical health, gyn, pelvic, contraception, depression & anxiety, and cardiovascular health    So, whether you have a Women’s Health startup idea that's up and running or just have some scribbles in a notebook and you're based in the Nordic region, mark a big X in your calendar for June 7th. You can apply right here 🚀: https://lnkd.in/dCZuXGmu #DeepTech #OpenDoor #Venturecapital #Womenshealth #healthtech #venture #VC #startup #startupecosystem #PreSeedVentures

💰 RH Capital, a pioneer in women’s health investing, is taking a significant step forward in its evolution. The team behind the fund – Elizabeth Bailey, Stasia Obremskey, and Alice Zheng – has announced the launch of Foreground Capital, a new venture firm dedicated to advancing women’s health innovation. 💬 “We’re expanding our focus to include conditions that disproportionately impact women. The conversation in the women’s health innovation community has evolved from a somewhat narrow focus on reproductive health in the early days to a more comprehensive view of women’s health across all life stages.” Alice Zheng, Partner at Foreground Capital #femtech #womenshealth #womenshealthinnovation #femhealth #health #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #healthequity #vc #venturecapital #investor #investing #startup #scaleup #ecosystem #launch #reproductivehealth #menopause #fertility #autoimmunedisease #pelvichealth #womeninvc

Another major win for women’s health! Maven Clinic just raised $125M, securing a $1.7 billion valuation. Led by CEO Kate Ryder, Maven is a great example of what’s possible for women-led health startups. Women’s health is still being overlooked, especially by companies that don’t fully grasp the complexities of reproductive care. But Maven is different. They provide virtual care across the entire reproductive lifecycle, from family planning to menopause. This is the kind of innovation we need more of. Solutions driven by women, for women. In this video, I show you HOW you can follow Maven’s path and secure the funding your women’s health startup needs. _____________________ 👋🏻 Hi there, welcome! ✨ I'm Sarah. I help women founders develop winning business models, gain market traction, and secure funding through my FundHER accelerator program. As a woman founder, follow me here on LinkedIn for insights and support to help you launch, grow, and fund your startup.

Flo Health is making waves in the femtech world, becoming Europe’s first unicorn in the space. But it hasn’t been an easy ride. 💡 Femtech, despite addressing a massive market, still faces an uphill battle in investor circles (spoiler alert: male-dominated rooms don’t always get it). CFO Tamara Orlova highlights the hurdles they’ve overcome—from tackling funding biases to pushing the importance of women’s health. Her advice for startups? 👉 start building investor relationships yesterday! 👉 do your research, 👉 find your allies, and 👉 be ready to educate. There’s no shortcut, Flo’s journey shows it’s possible. Flo’s success isn’t just about the win—it’s about cracking open the doors for more innovation in women’s health. 🚪 With the femtech market set to grow to $60B by 2027, this could be just the beginning. #Femtech #Womenintech #Innovation #Investing #Healthtech #Futureoghealth

Have you designed, developed and launched a femtech or womens’ health business idea which you now want to take to the next level? Interested in learning more about investment options? Are you solution focused and comfortable with taking risks? Then we want to hear from you. We’re looking for founders who have: Femtech or womens’ healthtech businesses that take a new approach to solving problems including long-acting reversible contraception, menopause, cancer detection, access to primary and community care and innovations that can safeguard women and girls from violence, among others. New products or services which tackle health challenges. Groundbreaking ideas that impact society on a large scale. Developed a new product, service or  process which adds value to an existing solution, or to consumers. There will be a focus on applications from female founded or co-founded businesses although the programme is open to applications from all genders. Being a part of this accelerator will help you to:  Develop your brand and gain support in addressing key issues  Develop a roadmap to gain access to funding  Design a plan for how to grow your idea or business to the next level  Understand the investment landscape  Build a bespoke investment plan  Make connections with investors Connect with a network of supporters, founders and mentors who specialise in this sector   Delivered by Lifted Ventures and Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, the programme aims to unlock business potential and increase the profile of business opportunities ready for early stage investment, connecting and broadening the early stage innovation ecosystem for those businesses taking part. Join the accelerator and learn how to take your business to the next level helping you to take your business on to the global stage while improving the health of women and girls. If you are interested in learning more, we’re opening applications on 24 September for founders across the UK with an online event so you can hear all about it. If you are interested in learning more, we’re opening applications on 24 September for founders across the UK with an online event so you can hear all about it. Sign up using this link. https://lnkd.in/eyCYsxc2 #healthtech #femtech #startups #accelerator #angelinvestors #accesstofinance #investmentreadiness #earlystagefunding #earlystageinvestment #innovationfinance #innovation #inclusion  #investment #startupsuccess  #LiftedVentures  Jordan Dargue Helen Oldham Kirstie Taylor Nicola Hutchinson Jem Henderson Roseanna Tanner ACIM Rebecca Beeby

Companies founded solely by women garnered just 2% of total capital invested in US venture-backed startups in 2023, according to PitchBook’s US female founders dashboard. Female founders in Europe came in slightly lower, at 1.8%. That doesn’t tell the whole story though, as US VC funding for female-founded or cofounded companies secured more capital in 2023 than 2020—marking the third-highest annual level. In PitchBook’s latest All In report, analysts found that while deal count declined more than 25% for female founders in the US in 2023, cumulative VC deal value indicates resilience in the face of prolonged VC concerns. To read more click here https://buff.ly/3kxSDAr .