Femtech aims to destigmatise society first, sell products second: Top startups at SheSparks 2024

Femtech—which stands for female health technology—has witnessed rapid growth over the last few years, filling various gaps in the realm of women’s health right from selling menstrual products to spreading awareness.

“Change starts at home,” said Rachana Gupta, founder of women’s health startup Gynoveda, explaining the need for all members of a household to be sensitised towards women’s health.

Gupta reminisces about her childhood and how she is grateful to have grown up in a feminist household, which was open to conversations about menstruation. However, things were different at her workplace.

“I realised that women are conditioned to feel guilty about every little thing. For instance, if a woman is experiencing period pain and wants to take some time off, she may find it difficult to communicate it to her boss,” she said, adding that it is important for women to take care of themselves first, and their dependents next.

Tamanna Singh, founder of Menoveda, added that menopause remains an unaddressed and neglected part of women’s health. “It is a phase that every woman will undergo and spend a third of her life facing. We conducted a survey last year and found that only 52% could name up to 10 symptoms, and there are more than 40 of them.”

Menopause is not relatable for many youngsters which may lead to ignorance, Singh noted, urging young women to learn more about the subject.

Femtech aims to destigmatise society first, sell products second, according to Gynoveda's Gupta. Menoveda's Singh said, noting that it's the first step towards uplifting women.

Speaking of unaddressed areas, Geetha Manjunath, Founder and CEO of Niramai Health Analytix, highlighted how the diagnosis of a close family member encouraged her to make breast cancer screening accessible.

“Breast cancer is one of the few curable cancers if detected at an early stage,” she said, adding that she was passionate to develop an artificial intelligence-based non-invasive solution for breast cancer screening.

Manjunath spoke about how the level of acceptance and awareness [of cancer] in India is much lower than in other countries. When a woman in the US and the UK turns 40, she gets access to annual mammography screenings which is one of the reasons the median age of breast cancer cases is 10 years younger than in India, she explains.

“In India, till today, mammography is available in very few hospitals priced at Rs 3,500-4,000. There is a lot of hesitation involved in even a simple preventative checkup,” Manjunath added.

To bring changemakers together, Navneet Kaur set up Femtech India, the country’s first and largest network of founders, investors and professionals. The idea sprung when Kaur personally faced a multitude of health issues growing up.

“After several conversations with founders, the top three problems that emerged were awareness, funding, and research. Femtech India is trying to build an ecosystem to support founders by widening access to resources,” Kaur, Co-founder and CEO of Femtech India, said.