Long neglected by medical research, women’s health is currently booming under the impetus of femtech. The term refers to all innovations in women’s health: connected objects, applicationsapplications mobilesmobiles, softwaresoftware health, educational platforms, etc. While the market is particularly developed in the United States and the United Kingdom, it is beginning to make a place for itself in France, as revealed by the 2024 barometer published by the Femtech France association and Wavestone.
A 22% increase in femtech start-ups in France
The 140 start-upstart-up French femtech companies listed as of April 30, 2024 show an increase of 22% compared to 2023. The three health categories most represented are menstrual health, overall health, then ex aequo chronic pathologies and pelvic health. Conversely, some are still under-addressed in France, such as menopause and cardiovascular diseases, which are nevertheless the leading cause of death for women in France. Among the leaders, we find Perifit and Fizimed, with their perineal rehabilitation probes and breast pumps, and Apricity, the virtual fertility clinic. Note that 64% of the start-ups surveyed provide reimbursement by Health Insurance and, among them, 20% have already started the process.
Femtech startups take on sports
In this Olympic year, the study has chosen to focus particularly on women’s sports practice and the innovative solutions offered by femtech start-ups. In France, the gap between women and men in the field is narrowing, since regular practice is 58% for the former compared to 62% for the latter. A development that is not, however, felt in clinical research, since women only represent 35% of participants in sports science studies. However, the problems linked to the lack of knowledge about female physiology are numerous and their impact on sports performance is undeniable. “, explains the EMPOW’HER program (Exploring Menstrual Periods Of Women athletes to Escalate Ranking)) which was put in place for better individualization of training.
The issue is both social and economic
The social but also economic stakes of femtech are considerable, because the cost of gender inequalities is 1,000 billion dollars per year according to the McKinsey Health Institute. His report also highlights that investing one dollar in women’s health would yield three dollars, because it would allow sick women to return to the job market. In any case, the subject is starting to evolve in the right direction. After the United Kingdom and its Research Challenge In addition to £50 million to improve maternal health, US President Joe Biden recently asked Congress to allocate $12 billion to create a fund dedicated to research into women’s health.
