Ovom Care’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

It’s been really interesting to see the debate around Flo’s record $200m funding this week 💰 As a femtech company founded by men, led by men, and funded by men, it’s no surprise that the news that Flo is the first women’s health app to achieve unicorn status has raised concerns about the lack of funding received by women-led businesses. Female-founded startups account for 2% or less of VC funding - making raises such as Grace Beverley’s TALA's recent £5m round all the more important. We were at risk earlier this year of cutting out a huge number of female angel investors with the push to increase the threshold to be a HNWI - and we know that female investors are more likely to invest in female-founded companies. So what does the news from Flo represent? There’s an argument to be made that investors who see health startups such as Flo securing such a significant investment might lead to attitude shifts in the wider market. And we need more money injected into women’s health - so if this is happening, does it really matter who is leading the charge? Is it actually a good thing for men to be engaging in women’s health? Ultimately, the news demonstrates that we still aren’t seeing enough female-founded businesses gaining investment - and that needs to change. But, anything that furthers investigation into women’s health can’t be a bad thing - right? Abbianca Nassar née Makoni wrote a great piece about the debate in UKTN I felt highlighted the debate well 👇

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

𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 The country has embraced femtech with open arms, leading to groundbreaking advancements in women's health 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁: 70% of investments in Israeli femtech come from abroad, there are not any large venture capital funds within the country specialising in women's health that can provide support across all the different stages 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵? The lack of awareness of womans health remains an issue worldwide for a multitude of reasons 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗶 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲? → A modern public healthcare system → Government subsidies for infertility treatment and pregnancy management, in addition to policies and incentives from the Israeli government encourage investment and growth in the femtech sector → Strong Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, with a robust support system for startups, including accelerators and incubators, Israel nurtures innovation from the ground up 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙄𝙨𝙧𝙖𝙚𝙡'𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙢𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨? 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙟𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚? C𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬 👇 #Israel #FemTech #WomensHealth #MedicalDevices #MedTech

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

Wednesday Spotlight: Highlighting Innovation in the #HealthTech Industry! This week's spotlight shines on the female-founded, NYC startup, Evvy: Founded by Priyanka Jain, Laine Bruzek, and Pita Navarro; Evvy is revolutionizing women's healthcare through data-driven precision medicine. By leveraging AI and groundbreaking technology, Evvy has created a platform that empowers women to understand their vaginal health, access personalized care, and improve their overall well-being. Why Evvy is making waves: ➡ Precision Vaginal Health: Evvy offers the first and only at-home vaginal microbiome test, providing personalized insights and care recommendations. ➡ Data-Driven Approach: By building the world's largest dataset on the vaginal microbiome, Evvy is uncovering new discoveries and improving women's health outcomes. ➡ Personalized Care: Evvy's platform combines testing with expert guidance and treatment options, ensuring women receive the care they deserve. Evvy is tackling a critical challenge in healthcare: providing women with the information and tools they need to take control of their health. #NYCstartups #WomensHealth #FemaleFounders #Startups

In case you missed the news...HITLAB has partnered with @Versalie™  to launch a competition focusing on women’s health, specifically menopause. The challenge seeks small startups and entrepreneurs with MVPs (Minimum Viable Products).     The #Challenge seeks innovators who have developed groundbreaking solutions that explore the connection between women’s health and holistic well-being using data-driven methodologies.     The purpose of the #challenge is to bolster innovation and identify high-potential new technologies in an emerging, and quickly growing, segment of the digital health and healthcare market that provides opportunities to address healthcare challenges.    Finalists who make it through the first round have a chance to win up to $25k. All 3 final winners will win prizes with cash value.    Want to learn more and/or to apply?  Click here: https://lnkd.in/eWD-ykae   #challenge #competition #womenshealth #menopause #versalie #hitlab #digitalhealth #innovators #startups  

🌟 Exciting News! The UK's leading incubator programme has just unveiled its latest cohort, and among the innovative startups is a groundbreaking fertility venture. This startup is set to revolutionise reproductive health with cutting-edge AI-driven healthcare integration solutions. Key focuses include: ✅ Reproductive Health ✅ Digital Health Solutions ✅ Custom Healthcare Software ✅ Healthcare Data Management By providing essential resources like funding, mentorship, and strategic partnerships, the programme is empowering these startups to transform healthcare delivery. Learn more about how these startups are set to make a significant impact on the future of healthcare: https://lnkd.in/e2Z4jSnz #HealthcareInnovation #FertilityStartup #DigitalHealth #HealthcareIT #StartupGrowth

The BioInnovation Institute (BII) in #Copenhagen, #Denmark, has recently welcomed twelve new companies into its #VentureLab acceleration program, designed to support #startups that promise to significantly impact human and #planetaryhealth. Among the twelve selected companies, two startups stand out for their dedication to advancing #womenhealth: Pharmista Technologies and oasicare. Pharmista Technologies is making strides with the development of a reusable #pregnancytest, setting the stage for a new era in sustainable #diagnostics. This innovation aligns with a growing demand for eco-friendly #healthsolutions and represents a significant step forward by providing a more #environmentallyresponsible option for #pregnancytesting. On a similar note of innovation in women’s health, oasicare is dedicated to enhancing the #childbirth and #postpartum experience on a global scale.

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