FemTech Lab

🍂 Sifted Summit last week felt like a delightful “autumn camp," full of good food and friends reconnecting after the blur of summer 🌞 It’s such a special place where diverse fields meshed together with innovators aligned in passionate pursuit of making a difference and helping each other. I heard so many incredible stories on and off the stages - starstruck to see dear friends crushing it on panels like Anna Vybornova at Polari Labs, FemTech Lab pack members Hannah Samano at Unfabled (wow did your pictured anti-burnout panel rock!) and Jenny Wordsworth at OVOM. Was delighted to connect them to #femtech friends Nina van Schaick from Peripear Ltd, and Emily Westwood from EVE too! On team Jack Fertility’s side we introduced our fantastic Oxford summer intern Rafael Armstrong to his first corporate conference, Nick Shipley commanded a captive audience at his roundtable #masterclass on #waitlists, and Millie O'Brien was brilliantly networked and took awesome pics. We’ve got to remember to get a team photo next time! 📸 Incredible to see the Alma Angels in action there too: I’m very grateful to 😃 David Fogel and Roxane Sanguinetti for deftly organising sessions allowing me to pick the brains of brilliant Jocelyn Cheng and June Angelides, MBE during speed mentoring 🤩 And a delight to meet so many other new connections like Shubham Jaipuria at Mercia Asset Management PLC and Emily Wood at HSBC Innovation Banking who allowed me to extensively talk sperm (thanks Toyosi Ogedengbe for the intro... glad to have a cheeky Saïd Business School, University of Oxford class reunion with Ashleigh Herd, MBA too!) Like summer camp, it was over too soon, and only got to see a fraction of the folks I wanted to see/meet irl. I can’t wait for the next convening of brilliant minds. Thanks again Anisah Osman Britton MBE and Charlie Onions for the kind invitation!

Postpartum Plan and MUTU System, two trusted leaders in postnatal recovery, are joining forces to offer a more comprehensive approach and expand access to enhanced support for new mothers. Together, we will empower women with holistic resources for both physical recovery and emotional well-being. Consumers will benefit from greater access to expert-guided postnatal fitness, mental health resources, and corporate wellness programmes, all designed to improve post-birth recovery and long-term health. I met Wendy Powell at FemTech Lab event and was so inspired by her passion for and knowledge of postpartum recovery. I knew that together we could bring a full package of Postpartum Plan emotional and physical recovery support with specialist pelvic floor and core strength from MUTU System. We will also be providing MUTU System as part of our corporate offering so get in touch to find out more about our package. Let's revolutionise postpartum health, together!

Check out this upcoming webinar with Plan Your Baby (from FemTech Lab's Spring 2023 cohort) and Daye 👇

It feels like 2024 is the year of partnerships in Women’s Health! 💃 Here are some specific models of how larger brands and startups can work together: First, I have to admit that my past life in SaaS jaded me about partnerships. What we don't want is “innovation theatre” (a term referring to corporates bringing startups for pitching events) and POCs that go nowhere. However, over the past 4 years with FemTech Lab, I have been amazed by the truly collaborative nature of the Women's Health industry. It might be our superpower. Back to partnership models. ⚡️ Corporate VC Corporate venturing (or “CVC”) refers to companies investing directly in startups that align with their strategic interests. Unilever Ventures and Reckitt are examples of consumer corporate VCs. In many cases, the investment comes with resources and support. This model could be especially useful for startups working on longer-term projects (e.g. medtech and biotech). It ensures startups maintain focus while also giving corporates a stake in breakthrough innovations. Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund looks like an interesting example of that. ✨ Venture Building In this model, a corporate collaborates closely with a startup to co-create a product or proposition, offering resources, expertise, and/or market access. This is a more hands-on collaboration. It requires a significant commitment from the founders and probably makes the most sense for early-stage companies. Venture building is a very interesting model in FemTech because it provides a resource structure, and takes off the pressure (and risk) - allowing founders to focus entirely on product development and customer needs. The exact commercial model here can be quite creative and will vary from corporate to corporate. Essity Ventures is a strong corporate player in this model and my favourite example of doing this well. 💥 Joint Marketing Campaigns The fun one! Joint marketing campaigns can be a win-win in the consumer space. Established companies provide the brand recognition and market reach, while startups contribute innovative products and fresh perspectives. Lots of opportunities for storytelling and getting creative in women's health. This model works best with later-stage startups that have earned industry trust. For instance, the response to the recent collab of Sweaty Betty x Hertility showed how much energy and buzz such campaigns can generate. This is far from a complete list, so I’d love to hear from you. What cool partnership models have you seen? 📸 Image credits: Sweaty Betty & Hertility campaign photo by Caroline Deliakis, recent Lululemon & Oura partnership announcement, and a throwback from Essity Ventures Innovation Challenge that FemTech Lab supported.

Don't miss your chance to get early bird pricing for Women's Health Innovation Summit in Boston 23-25th of September! Use code FemTechLab10 for 10% off your ticket. Register here: https://hubs.ly/Q02Lgg2M0

We are thrilled to announce a special LinkedIn Live event featuring three visionary thought leaders: - Mary Stutts, MHA, CEO of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association - Dr. Maura Campbell, President & CEO, Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO) - Julie Castro Abrams, Managing Partner, How Women Invest; CEO, How Women Lead This discussion will explore the critical importance of funding women’s innovation in the healthcare industry and its far-reaching implications. With only 3% of venture capital funding going to female founders—and even less to women of color—this event aims to highlight the urgent need for change. Our panelists will delve into: - The current landscape of funding for women entrepreneurs in healthcare. - The barriers and challenges faced by women innovators. - Success stories and the transformative potential of women-led healthcare startups. - How we can collectively drive the future of healthcare forward. This event also serves as a prelude to the HBA’s 1st Pitch Competition for Women Innovators, set to take place during the HBA Annual Conference in Toronto in September. The competition was designed to spotlight and support women-led, health-focused startups, providing them with the capital, resources, and support necessary to thrive. Join us live on 22 August to be part of this important conversation. Let’s champion innovation, break down barriers, and pave the way for a more equitable and innovative future in healthcare! #HBAAC24 #HBAimpact #WomenInInnovation #Healthcare #VentureCapital #PitchCompetition #LinkedInLive

🤖 AI is transforming healthcare. It’s probably not a case of “if” your company should harness AI, but “how”. The FemTech Lab pack can explore their “how” at @World Summit AI in Amsterdam Oct 9-10 and book your ticket with a 20% discount, using the code FTLAB20. World Summit AI is where tech professionals, scientists, clinicians, and health leaders will meet to explore the role and ethics of AI in healthcare. Be sure not to miss out on: ➡️ Expediting Drug discovery for undruggable targets using AI ➡️ The rise of robots: How AI is transforming clinical care ➡️ Addressing patient confidentiality and privacy in healthcare applications ➡️ Friends with benefits: Exploring the implications of human relationships with advanced LLMs Book your ticket here: https://worldsummit.ai/

👏👏👏 YeneHealth, Kidist Tesfaye!

We are thrilled to share an insightful article from our partner Sage Revell, Partner at Brown Rudnick LLP, that dives deep into the booming FemTech sector. 🌟 She shares unique insights from her conversations at Decoding the Future of Women last month! As the FemTech market continues to grow, we are excited to watch and support the emergence of new innovations that will shape the future of women's health! 🦄 👉 Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e4rJTYu5