Latest news with #femtech
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
‘Femtech' takes on the women's health-care marketplace
Could you use some discreet help with birth control from a $14.99-a-month period-tracking app? How about a hands-free, wearable breast pump, for $549; a $299 wristband to soothe hot flashes; or an extra-slim, temperature-neutral, LED-lit speculum to bring to gynecologists' appointments — part of a $125 kit including 'comfy socks'? These products and more are part of a fast-growing industry known as 'femtech' — high-tech solutions for women's health needs — whose many female founders say they're tackling age-old inequities.
Entrepreneur
11-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Femtech CEO on Leadership: Don't 'Need More Masculine Energy'
"I've been thinking a lot about leadership models," Sarah O'Leary, CEO of femtech company Willow, tells Entrepreneur. " There's been a lot of noise and news around, 'We need more masculine energy in the workplace.' It makes you question as a leader: What is my style? How effective is my style? I don't believe that we need more masculine energy." Image Credit: Courtesy of Willow O'Leary characterizes her leadership style and the culture at Willow, the brand behind "patented leak-proof" wearable breast pumps and their accessories, as one that centers transparency and empathy to build trust within the workplace. According to the CEO, teams that have trust in each other — and in their leaders — are more likely to function in a way that's conducive to success. Related: Strong Leaders Use These 4 Strategies to Build Trust in Their Workplace "I believe [flexibility in the workplace] makes us more productive." Instilling trust within team members means emphasizing a level of autonomy, O'Leary says. Willow is a "very flexible workplace," O'Leary explains, noting that the company has never given its employees return-to-office mandates. As a mother of two herself, O'Leary is particularly cognizant of the everyday hurdles team members who are also parents face, and she wants to support them in any way possible. " If my kids' elementary school concert is happening at 10 a.m., I'm going to sign off," O'Leary says. "I'm going to go to that, then come back and keep going with my day. I don't believe that makes us any less productive. I believe it makes us more productive. I feel very passionately that we can build a tremendously successful business while also operating in ways that feel authentic to our leadership and team." Related: This Mother of 6 Created a Hit Children's Brand Without Any Industry Experience — Here's Her No. 1 Secret for Entrepreneurial Parents Who Want to Achieve Big Goals Willow is navigating its next growth chapter with O'Leary at the helm. The company recently announced its acquisition of UK-based femtech innovator Elvie, which is expected to boost revenue by 50%. Willow also continues to partner with organizations that support parents. To kick off its Mother's Day campaign this year, the company announced a partnership with Canopie, a preventive maternal health care platform, to donate one million hours of maternal mental health support. "[Being CEO is] a responsibility as much as it is a cool title." Prior to stepping into the CEO role at Willow, O'Leary served as the company's chief commercial officer and "loved" the work. O'Leary has reflected a lot over the past year on her decision to become CEO, and she says that ambition wasn't her primary motivator; instead, she recognized that she was the right person for the job at this moment. "I cared deeply about our mission," O'Leary explains. "I had a vision for where we could go. I understood the commercial operations of the business and could bring that together with our product teams. In some sense, [becoming CEO] has put me in a servant leader kind of role — It's a responsibility as much as it is a cool title." Related: 10 Leadership Lessons From Successful CEOs — An Insightful Guide for the Ambitious Entrepreneur At the end of the day, O'Leary suggests that leaders make sure their motivation is authentic to them — because that's what will help them lead through the most difficult times. "New tariffs are announced, and you've got to figure that out," O'Leary says. "It is challenge after challenge, and the organization looks to you and says, 'What are we going to do?' This role is really about being willing to take responsibility for the people, products and customers. It's not all glitz and glamor. You're the first person who gets all the tough questions."
Fast Company
06-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
The global business case for investing in fem tech
Technology is rapidly improving health care, financial inclusion, and economic empowerment. But the benefits for girls and women, especially in lower- and middle-income countries, are far from equal. Less than 2% of funding for medical research is spent on pregnancy, childbirth, and female reproductive health. Approximately 740 million women worldwide remain unbanked. And globally, 31% of women are not in education, training, or employment. Fem tech—technology-based solutions designed to address the health and wellness of girls and women—has emerged as an industry of change. Mostly women-led or women-founded (85% of fem tech startups), these solutions are closing gender gaps and driving economic growth. Investing in fem tech isn't an ideological imperative—when women and girls thrive, societies prosper. In emerging and developing economies, where access to quality health care, education and economic opportunities are uneven, fem tech presents a personalized alternative and complementary system to information and services. Take, for example, Cariya Wallet in Uganda, a digital finance platform leveraging diaspora remittances to help mothers cover financial commitments like school fees, using machine learning for credit scoring and blockchain for transparency. Or Sakhi in India, an AI-driven, WhatsApp-based solution to reduce maternal mortality by connecting mothers to healthcare workers, resources, and NGOs. Or Kasha, the pan-African digital platform that bridges last-mile access and choice to health products. Through a UNICEF-GITEX initiative, 11 female-led fem tech innovations from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East—including Cariya Wallet and Sakhi—were selected in 2024 to receive dedicated mentorship as part of the Gender-Responsive Innovation Challenge. The challenge was part of our market research to explore the breadth of fem tech solutions from and for emerging markets. The results? An overwhelming supply and demand. UNLOCKING FEMTECH'S UNTAPPED POTENTIAL Looking at funding flows, in 2023, women-only founded startups received a tiny fraction (2%) of U.S. venture capital funding. Under 2% of venture capital reached the African continent, despite it accounting for almost 19% of the global population. Market fragmentation and the perceived niche status of fem tech have made it harder for investors to recognize its potential, assess opportunities, and calculate returns. Changing this will require a shift in how and where to invest, as well as aligning with fellow social impact investors and activists in tackling major barriers like the suppression of femtech businesses in digital marketing on social media platforms. Good and profitable businesses should always be on trend. The global fem tech market is projected to reach at least $97 billion by 2030. The commitment to invest in fem tech solutions in emerging markets cannot be reduced to an ideological pursuit when it is set to offer tangible—and possibly staggering—returns for the global economy at large: driving results for people, businesses, and markets alike. Early investments prove it—like the development of a single-dose vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer. This is a major breakthrough, as cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet it remains a leading cause of death for girls and women in low- and middle-income countries. Or consider biosensor diagnostics, which make early-detection screenings during pregnancy and childbirth more accessible at a fraction of the cost. For children and women, these are life-saving technological advances. The UNICEF Venture Fund's experience has demonstrated that investing in women-founded and women-led companies drives economic growth and delivers social impact. Further exploration will unlock the potential of untapped talent in emerging markets, where women are twice as likely to pursue entrepreneurship compared to more developed markets. There are good fem tech solutions in emerging markets, but there is a dirge of knowledge and lack of connection with investors. Business leaders should weigh the perceived risks against actual investment risks through market explorations and collaborations with local incubators. Research shows that women-founded companies generate a higher return on investment, calculated at 35% on average, alongside 12% higher revenues when venture-backed—and this holds true for our portfolio as well. By diversifying their pool of investors to include underrepresented voices, business leaders can gain insights aligned with global market opportunities. SCALING WHAT WORKS Bold investment in disruptive, early-stage, open-source solutions—particularly in underserved geographical markets—can deliver transformative results. Over the past decade, the Venture Fund has taken this approach by investing in cutting-edge technology with an emphasis on equity and diversity. By forming strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors, the fund is maximizing the potential of technology to improve the lives of children, young people, and their communities. Of course, early-stage investments are only the tip of the iceberg of what's required—they must be paired with complementary investments in tried and tested solutions catalytic enough to pull start-ups out of the 'valley of death.' We live in a time of economic volatility. Business leaders are making safe bets, and so are their consumers. It's at times like this that social impact solutions are most needed to provide the socio-economic safety nets businesses and communities need. To achieve this, multisectoral and cross-geographical market partnerships are crucial. Unusual coalitions between venture capital, philanthropic investors, governments, incubators, and international organizations can help identify and match the most promising innovations for funding and mentorship. There is a resource gap in the fem tech industry that presents a market opportunity for business leaders to invest capital, provide mentorship, and aid the market shaping and scaling of game-changing solutions. In our lifetime, we can witness the ripple effect of 4 billion women equipped with cutting-edge tech tools to meet their full socio-economic potential. It's a lofty but credible ambition.
