The Evolution of FemTech: From Menstrual Tracking to Deep FemTech and the Fight for Women's Health Equity
Key Insights
FemTech has grown from a handful of menstrual tracking apps to approximately 4,300 companies raising $8.27 billion, addressing reproductive health and beyond.
Only 6% of private healthcare investment goes to women's health, with public funders like the NIH allocating just 8.8% of research funding to female-focused conditions between 2013 and 2023.
The field is shifting toward "Deep FemTech," expanding into cardiovascular disease (search), cancer, and chronic conditions that disproportionately affect women.
The term "FemTech," coined in 2016 by Ida Tin, has evolved from a niche category focused primarily on menstrual tracking and fertility awareness into a global industry encompassing approximately 4,300 companies that have collectively raised US $8.27 billion in funding. What was once disparagingly referred to as "bikini health" now spans clinical services, engagement solutions, and consumer products — from wearable diagnostic devices to AI-powered emotional support platforms for in vitro fertilization patients.
The growth trajectory reflects a response to deeply entrenched disparities in how women's health is funded and studied. A 2026 report from the World Economic Forum notes that just 6% of private healthcare investment goes to women's health. Public funding fares only marginally better: the National Institutes of Health in the United States allocated 8.8% of all research funding to women's health between 2013 and 2023, while the Canadian Institute of Health Research directed 7.16% of all funded grants to the area in 2023.
"Research addressing these issues remains critically underfunded," writes JMIR Correspondent Jenny Castillo Cato in a News and Perspectives story published by JMIR Publications. The combination of insufficient funding and "deep-rooted gender biases" — including findings that women's symptoms are frequently dismissed or erroneously attributed to emotional causes — created an environment where traditional pathways for advancing female-specific healthcare solutions seemed nearly impossible.
A Market in Motion
Several converging forces have accelerated FemTech's expansion, particularly in North America. Societal shifts in the perception of women's health, increasing consumer demand, and the broader digitization of healthcare have all played roles. Regulatory changes in reproductive rights policy in the United States, including the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, further accelerated demand for telehealth services, particularly for hormone therapy and sexual health care.
The current FemTech landscape can be broadly categorized into three areas: clinical services such as telemedicine platforms and personalized healthcare resources; engagement solutions including digital communities and educational applications; and consumer products spanning therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and health supplements.
Notable examples illustrate the field's diversity. Owlet, founded in 2013, sells wearable baby socks that monitor heart rate and respiration and is considered the top globally funded FemTech company. Amiya, recognized as one of 1337 Ventures' top 10 FemTech startup winners of 2026, provides emotional support throughout the in vitro fertilization journey using an artificial intelligence companion to detect emotional distress alongside connection to a live online community. Curiva is developing a noninvasive diagnostic patch that uses biomarkers to detect gynecologic cancers (search) following an abnormal Pap smear, potentially reducing the need for invasive procedures such as colposcopies.
Addressing Systemic Inequities
While FemTech holds significant potential to improve healthcare access and outcomes, Cato notes that its technologies "can also reinforce existing inequities through biased datasets, culturally insensitive solutions, and approaches that address women's health issues in isolation rather than within broader systemic contexts."
Some companies are directly confronting these challenges. Invocares, a digital health platform for pregnant women, is building a culturally informed platform designed to serve all women regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or geographic location. Health in Her HUE offers culturally competent care, health information, and community support specifically for Black women, women of color, and gender-expansive people of color. By prioritizing inclusivity and cultural responsiveness, these companies exemplify how thoughtful FemTech innovation can help reduce longstanding gender and racial disparities in healthcare.
Global recognition of the industry's importance is growing. Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and Merck (search) recently created a FemTech Accelerator Program to support up to 30 FemTech startups addressing women's health issues both regionally and globally. The FemTech market is projected to reach a market value of over US $97 billion by 2030.
The Shift to Deep FemTech
As funding begins to catch up with demand, FemTech is entering what Cato describes as its next chapter: "Deep FemTech." This 2.0 version emphasizes comprehensive healthcare solutions that extend beyond reproductive health, addressing systemic issues such as cardiovascular disease (search), cancer, and chronic conditions that disproportionately affect women.
"These FemTech innovations represent a transformative movement in health care and an opportunity to address longstanding gender disparities and redefine how women access and experience medical care outside of traditional pathways," Cato writes. The evolution toward Deep FemTech signals a more inclusive and research-driven future, though continued investment, policy support, and global accessibility will be essential in ensuring that quality healthcare innovation equitably serves the nearly 4.13 billion females who make up 49.7% of the global population.