An expanding industry with exceptional profits for investors. Nicole Junkermann is a worldwide investor in technology companies through NJF Capital.
A little about Femtech
Technology catering to?women’s health and wellness,?more commonly known as “FemTech”, is a rapidly growing market. Research conducted by FemTechFocus estimates that the FemTech market is currently worth $713 billion and will be valued at $1.073 trillion by 2026. Of the 47 FemTech exits in the past 20 years, the average exit is $408 million with the equivalent figure for other tech companies standing at $240 million. These calculated estimates show that more attention should be paid to an industry with significant growth potential, investment opportunity, and consumer attractiveness. NJF are proud investors in the FemTech space, with portfolio companies including the award-winning Elvie, founded by Tania Boler. Elvie develop technological products for women such as discrete breast pumps and kegel trainers.
Femtech and AI
Meanwhile in the US, Portland-based FemTech startup Gabbi have announced a $500,000 pre-seed round. Gabbi are on a mission to decrease delayed diagnosis of preventable diseases for women, starting with breast cancer. The company are leveraging AI to accurately predict a woman’s risk of breast cancer and equip her with personalised recommendations to take action. Gabbi have developed the first-ever consumer-facing risk model and it is also the most accurate at 85% accuracy compared to other risk models that do not exceed 70%. Existing risk models for women under 35 and women of colour are only 53% accurate.
Elsewhere, Babyscripts, a virtual care platform for managing obstetrics, have announced the release of a first-of-its-kind product for remote monitoring of maternal mental health. This will help fill a significant gap in the pregnancy and postpartum space. Babyscripts’ new product offers mothers a safe and convenient way to assess their mental state, access solutions, connect to their care team and provider when they report concerning symptoms, and provides mothers with mental health education and exercises for meditation and mindfulness. It is estimated that one in five women in England have a common mental health problem and 75% of people with mental health problems in England may not get access to the treatment they need. Mothers and new mothers are particularly vulnerable to this failure to receive treatment, partially because prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety are severely under identified, under reported, and under diagnosed.
Femtech Accelerators
A handful of accelerators dedicated to FemTech have been launched around the world over the past two years, all offering a combination of networking, mentoring, and introductions to potential investors. The latest,?Tech4Eva, recently opened in Switzerland. They aim to foster and support technological innovation in women’s health. Nicolas Loeillot, Chief Innovation Officer of Groupe Mutuel explains, “If we improve women's health, we have a positive impact on more than half of the Swiss population.” Loeillot is correct, and I hope that FemTech accelerators can continue to promote the development of more women’s products.
Nicole Junkermann?is a leading international entrepreneur and investor, focused on disrupting traditional business models through industry-defining technologies. Junkermann is the founder and Principal of NJF Holdings, a London-based private investment company with a portfolio across Europe, the U.S., and Asia. NJF Capital, the venture capital arm of NJF Holdings, has assembled an investment portfolio of more than 40 companies across industries as diverse as healthcare, FinTech, FoodTech, and Deep Tech. With experience sitting across both sides of the investment table, Junkermann brings a unique perspective to identifying visionary entrepreneurs with pioneering business ideas.
