Their digital platform offers proprietary symptom-based programs, telemedicine care from board-certified menopause specialists, and text-a-menopause-expert support. Also, apparently one of Oprahs favorite things!, Why Tandice picked this item: This set has quickly risen to staple status in our kitchen with the easy squeeze bottle, and the differentiated cooking v. finishing oils, its hard to picture reaching for any other EVOO. I have been incredibly fortunate in this regard. Earlier this year, Female Founders Fund conducted research concluding that "responding to the needs of women experiencing menopause is a $600 billion opportunity for companies". There, she studied International Relations and Management while serving as two-year captain for the university soccer team. Emily joined Female Founders Fund in 2018. Menopause-care brand founders describe the massive opportunity to disrupt a $600 billion market that's been overlooked and ignored by most inventors. in Economics. Their whole goal was to make drinking wine as fun as drinking a cocktail or beernot as snobby., Why Jennifer picked this item: I always love a good team/group activity over the holidays, and jigsaw puzzles are one of my favorites, especially to do with my family. Art is so personal and discovering an art piece that speaks to you is so satisfying. Why Allison picked this item: "For your friend with a sense of humor. We were meticulous in development down to the capsule selection vegan, gluten-free, free of toxic fillers. As female investors & operators, we are tracking cultural shifts and identifying opportunities with greater relevance, and with empathy for the founders unique journey and perspective. This age range means that menopause often hits women at the height of their careers, making menopause not only a concern for the physical and emotional wellbeing of women, but also the economic wellbeing of employers and nations. Its a pricey upfront investment, but youll afford yourself a consistently luxurious nightly wellness routine that you can otherwise only get from an infrequent, and equally pricey, trip to the spa., Why Galyn picked this item: These loveable weighted stuffed animals are the cutest, cuddliest way to get snuggles and stress-relief. Sep 20, 2021, 6:28 AM. Why do we even call this time in our lives menopause? She holds an MBA from London Business School and a BA from Vassar College. Its vintage-looking container makes it feel more unique too, like something an Italian grandma likely cooks with., Why Ariela picked this item: This year, Im excited to give my loved ones items and experiences that help them engage with new activities that get them to spend more time outside. We listen, we formulate or design, and we produce. Attn . We were drawn to CEO Catherine Balsam-Schwabers ability as a leader, as well as the efficacy and research behind Kindras products. telemedicine mens health brand Romans offshoot Rory. 00 Minutes. Were not here to help her get by; were here to help her grow and thrive through this midlife awakening. Women at every age are impacted by the lack of historic research and focus on womens health. Featured below are eight female founders and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of the menopause industry by bringing their innovative products and services to the market, a market that has too long been overlooked, underresearched and underfunded. We are eager to work with health and wellness partners to offer our products, tools, and knowledge. Thats just step one! The experience inspired me to speak with hundreds of women and experts to learn more about why that is. Just like the tech industry, the traditional healthcare system has also neglected womens needs beyond fertility and pregnancy.. The use of digital biomarkers can range from providing information and insight to the user, to being able to delineate what interventions or lifestyle changes are actually having a positive impact. Being able to discern across a wide age group, as early as 35 and even further along in the journey at 65+, is paramount to formulating products that target a very specific need. Community/Content Solutions: Caria, founded in 2019 offers a community of support as well as symptom tracking. We are going to explore the most interesting findings from that survey below. NEEN has the marketing (Gen Z chic) and mission (sustainable packaging, including the first-ever reusable silicone compact) on hard lock. During this time, Caroline also assisted in managing leading comedians as a PR Intern at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Alt to above product intro: Kindras line of estrogen-free essentials are formulated with clinically-studied ingredients and potent yet safe botanical extracts to provide full-range relief over time. The key to growing a business and building a brand is having true empathy for and a dynamic understanding of your customer. In 2018, Anu was included in Fortunes 40 Under 40 list, and she has been praised for her impact in diversifying venture capital with additional distinctions including Business Insiders Ultimate List of Female Startup Investors, and Top 4 Venture Firms Investing in Women. Seventy-eight percent of respondents to Female Founders Fund's survey said menopause had interfered with their lives to some degree, and only 36% said they felt prepared for menopause. While women have been seen as complicated and largely excluded from drug trials due to menstrual cycle fluctuations, men have been the default. Female Founders Fund is a seed stage venture fund that invests exclusively in female-founded companies. You cant go wrong., Why Christie picked this item: A perfect gift for the friend who wants to smash the patriarchy but needs caffeine first., Why Emily picked this item: This comforter is next level sooooo soft and cozy, temperature controlled, and the perfect weight. Pause provides skincare products for aging skin. When the kids were young, I started at Mattel. As of 2021, the population of females in the world is estimated at 3.905 billion, representing 49.58% of the world population. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from University of Georgia. I fear the negative side effects and have been advised against hormone therapy. For comparison Hims, just one company that targets erectile dysfunction among other male concerns, has raised nearly $160M and was most recently valued at $1.6B. In her book Invisible Women, author Caroline Criado Perez writes that the medical system is from root to tip, systematically discriminating against women, leaving them chronically misunderstood, mistreated and misdiagnosed. Santa Monica-based wellness platform Kindra announced Tuesday that it raised $4.5 million in seed financing led by the Female Founders Fund. While there has been medical advancement in birth control and fertility options, not all areas have seen equal investment or innovation. The company raised 1.5 million in seed funding so far from LocalGlobe, MMC Ventures, and angel investors including Megumi Ikeda, Managing Director at Hearst Ventures, Andrea Zitna of Elvie, former Spotify executive Sofia Bendz, founder of GoCardless Matt Robinson, and Simon Lambert, former CTO at MOO.com and Treatwell. Hormonal changes during menopause typically bring unpleasantsymptomsand indignities: hot flashes, sleep disruption, thinning hair, and vaginal dryness to name a few. No two bodies menopause the same, so its important to have solutions tailored to you. Kindra has the know-how and products to address this. One book I would love to dive into while cozied up is this coffee table book focused on notable African artists., Why Babba picked this item: I love everything Ami Cole, a clean makeup brand with a skin-first approach, authentically representing the black and brown community with products we need and love., Why Erin picked this item: Ive been living in the Brooklyn Ankle Pant from Athleta. Menopause is intrinsically personal. These female founders and entrepreneurs are shaping the future of the menopause industry by bringing [+] their innovative products and services to the market. A curiosity and thirst for knowledge, and how to bring this to market in a meaningful way is critical. Meet eight female founders and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of . McKinsey & Cos 2018 study shows companies in the top quartile for ethnic diversity are 21% more likely to experience above average profits. Going through a fertility journey or becoming a parent is not a rare thing. Fredas Period+ pads offer users a unique hybrid product, designed to provide the coverage needed for mild-to-medium bladder weakness, periods, or for anything in-between. An early-stage fund investing in the exponential power of exceptional female talent. As a result of this shift, over $1 billion has been invested in womens health companies over the last 5 years. In addition to the treatment plans, the Stella platform has articles, recipes, mindfulness meditations, exercise suggestions, and access to virtual events such as yoga classes or a Q&A with a gynecologist. In a sign of perhaps the biggest unaddressed opportunity, 71% of respondents said they would benefit from a community around the menopause experience. I founded Freda, the parent company of My Modern Menopause, to address and challenge the stigma and inequality in womens health, issues that I was also familiar with from being a woman, a mother, and the wife of a gynecologist. Like most women, she was unaware and ill-prepared for the physical changes that happen after childbirth and with age, especially with our vaginal health. The Daily Vaginal Lotion has a cult following for good reason it is formulated with super nourishing plant extracts for immediate hydration and relief from vaginal dryness (95% of women reported an improvement in hydration after 1 day of use,) plus skin-critical vitamins to help rebuild the skin moisture barrier over time. This is an incredible go-to for ideas about how to manage menopause and finding healthy pathways as we age., Why Tandice picked this item: Ive been loving the new clean makeup line by star makeup artist, and founder of Stila, Jeanine Lobell. Getting through menopause, though, brings a sense of relief. Since inception, Female Founders Fund has been tracking and investing behind both technological and business model innovation in women's health. According to Parvizi-Wayne, expanding into menopause support was a natural progression of Fredas commitment to combating stigmas and 'blind spots' in society. My Modern Menopause was born out of her own experience of how the stigma around menopause is ageist as well as sexist and needs to be tackled with empowerment and education. She was surprised at how many women suffer from these issues, yet there are so few effective and affordable solutions that are non-hormonal. Half the population is going through a shared experience they are not encouraged to actually share. How to Set Up Payroll Processing for a Small Business, Visible Hands Announces 51 Founders Participating in 2022 Flagship Accelerator, Building High-Tech Products for Non-High-Tech Industries. Nearly twice as many survey respondents indicated that they did or would not use hormone therapy for managing menopause (56% indicated they did or would not versus 28% indicated they did or would). Foley said she and her partners see more womens health and wellness opportunities ahead given the size of the population and dollars spent in the category. Meet 8 Female Founders Disrupting The $600 Billion Menopause Market. I joined NBCUniversals iVillage in my late 30s as I was trying to get pregnant and had my amazing twins. As we look to expand our product offering, we are working closely with our rich community to further understand what they need most. The Bonafide survey suggests there may also be a generational divide in womens experiences with menopause. Our hope was that this information will help us find a founder and solution to back. The FDA recommended excluding women from clinical trials in 1977 and did not reverse that stance until 1993. Kindra is my way. In turn, we take this valuable feedback to heart in our product development testing. There has been such a huge emphasis on health and wellbeing, regardless of your work location, that the value of our proposition has now become obvious to our clients and to the investor market.. Female Founders Fund was founded in 2013 and is based in United States of America. A nuanced approach to non-toxic ingredients and intuitive design. Holistic approaches to managing menopause symptoms focus on overall wellness practices and supplements to help ease the bodys transition. Importantly, Elektra provides a safe online space for women to connect with, support and learn from each other. Layla graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. I know its going to change the lives of so many families in those early sleepless nights with a new baby., Why Allison picked this item: For the hosts in your life, Brightlands Mini Sets make a great gift even for discerning at-home chefs!. Women are not just small men, and there is much work to be done to better understand and serve 50% of the population. Read more in Forbes. Mighty is another example of a dietary supplement provider. The top ten symptoms that respondents indicated experiencing are as follows: hot flashes (80%), night sweats (77%), sleep disorders (71%), loss of libido (70%), mood swings (69%), fatigue (67%), weight gain (67%), irregular periods (64%), bloating (63%) and difficulty concentrating (63%). Elektra Health and Peppy Health are newer players in the space. Even the language itself is undeserving us. The average age of onset is 51 in the US, with most women entering menopause in their 40s or 50s. Female Founders Fund launched in 2014 to address this problem with an opportunity - an investment vehicle focused on investing the next generation of female talent. This isnt about exploiting menopause by creating a load of products that dont add value, but among other strategies, theres a huge opportunity in simply signposting customers towards already existing products that help alleviate menopause symptoms. 60% of pre-order units were sold within the first hour of launch, so our next goal is to raise funds to scale, she concludes. Jun 15, 2021, 12:30 ET. While the number of women who participated in clinical trials that led to FDA drug approvals had increased to 72% in 2019, just a year earlier in 2018 only 56% of trials included women. Makes the entire room and home smell amazing., Why Adrianne picked this item: These robes are works of art and I love the sister duo behind the brand., Why Annie picked this item: I dont drink during the week and love when I go to happy hours that have Kin as a non alcoholic option. Such changes will ultimately result in better, more effective, and indiscriminate products on the market, she concludes. their innovative products and services to the market, Intelligent Foods Acquires Gobble In A Nine-Figure Deal Naming Ooshma Garg CEO, Karen Schaler, Writer Of Netflix Hit, A Christmas Prince, Has Two New Christmas Rom-Coms, 5 Steps You Should Take To Recession-Proof Your Career, Jasmine Jordan Builds Her Career Behind The Scenes While Preserving The Jordan Brand Legacy, Sisters Get Concussion Diagnostic Funded, FDA Approved, And Reimbursed, Suze Ormans Business Is Here To Help You Build Your Emergency Fund, The Roadmap To Success: Starting A Business Begins With A Plan, From Christine Lagarde To Giorgia Meloni: The Most Powerful Women In Politics In 2022. One-fifth (20%) of women surveyed had experienced symptoms for a year or more before being assessed by a healthcare provider and 34% had never been formally assessed or diagnosed as menopausal. I love this set because it looks beautiful on my bar cart and contains only the bar tools that you really use none of the riff raff items that just take up space., Why Sarah picked this item: As a mother of 4 there is nothing I value more than a good nights sleep. Digital biomarkers can have a huge impact in areas of health that are complex and multi-faceted, such as menopause, from the monitoring, diagnostic, and management perspective. Though virtually all women experience menopause, it has remained taboo for many women. From Boots and Marks & Spencer to Simba and Always Discreet, GenM has over 30 brands on board as Founding Partners, all who are looking to lead from the front to normalize the conversation around menopause, thereby breaking the taboo for millions of women and those experiencing menopause, whether an employee or consumer. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Women aged 40 to 59 have the highest rate of depression of any group based on age and gender in the U.S, and women have a 1 in 5 chance of developing cognitive diseases, particularly Alzheimers, compared to a 1 in 11 chance for men. We believe our founders success will impact and shape the future of the technology landscape creating a more equitable and diverse future. The market for products and services addressing the needs of women experiencing menopause is as large as $600 billion, a new report finds. Reproductive healthcare still makes up 95% of the femtech investment space, with investment in menopause only accounting for 5% of femtech investment. Female Founders Fund launched in 2014 with one simple belief: women will build the companies of tomorrow. We believe strongly in the exponential power of exceptional female talent. All these details add up to making safe, effective, empowering options truly accessible to everyone were on a mission to serve. Earlier this year, Female Founders Fund conducted research concluding that "responding to the needs of women experiencing menopause is a $600 billion opportunity for companies". Only 36% of respondents felt moderately or very prepared for menopause, Women want to feel better prepared for menopause and want more clarity on what treatments will actually help alleviate their symptoms. It was designed by a team of researchers who meticulously considered every element from the specific angle of the tip for precise lotion application where dryness persists at the vaginal opening (introitus), to the slight impressions on the sides for finger placement. No cooking experience necessary. Anu is the Founding Partner of Female Founders Fund. For us that means delivering education, community, and products that ACTUALLY work as demonstrated with clinical studies, consumer testing, and community feedback, to support a time in our lives when we need to find new ways to manage our changing bodies. Thats why I love this sustainable gold barrette from Each Jewels. Turning off our computers and getting outside can be immensely beneficial for your mental and physical health and I want to help make it fun for them. Thats $3.54B out of $110B invested globally. Too cute to drink but too refreshing not to, these unfiltered, biodynamic wines feature bold & surprising flavors for your favorite oenophile, and whimsically delicious labels for your favorite brandophile. After Maven, FFF invested early on in other category-defining womens health companies including Shine (a consumer self-care platform), Real (a mental health platform for millennial women), and most recently Oula (a service reimagining how women experience pregnancy and delivery). Female Founders Fund has made 2 investments so far, their most recent investment was on 2022-04-20, when Boss Beauties raised $4.40M. FemHealth Founders (FHF) empowers female founders to build and lead profitable, women-centric companies that are offering solutions to women's health-related issues. Adrianna formerly created and led Google's Global Supplier Diversity Program, creating over $1B in opportunities for women and minority owned businesses. Its also mutually beneficial for all of society when women put on their own oxygen mask before jumping to assist others. A recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) survey reported that three out of five (59%) working women between the ages of 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms say it has a negative impact on them at work, and nearly a third of women in the survey said they had taken sick leave because of their symptoms. Adrianna Samaniego Female Founders Fund. Earlier this year, Female Founders Fund conducted research concluding that "responding to the needs of women experiencing menopause is a $600 billion opportunity for companies". To date, 94% of participating women respondents reported an improved menopause mindset after the Meno-morphosis program. Brooklyn/mom founded. 78% of respondents indicated that menopause interferes with their lives, and 23% of respondents indicated that menopause impacted their lives either a great deal or was completely debilitating. When we stay silent, everybody loses. With the brand, Eva Longoria means to honor the women of Mexico who birthed the spirit and continue to give it life would recommend to any of my tequila loving-friends!, Why Tandice picked this item: The most delightful host gift you can walk into a holiday party with is unquestionably a bottle of Cidre Sauvageon wine. The Chicken Masala and Steak & Stout are delish!, Why Kaitlin picked this item: Im excited to buy a wine club membership for a year from a minority owned winery founded by one of the most respected sommeliers and a designer. Empathy for our community is a must. Anything in their line would be a great holiday gift for the Youtube beauty tutorial connoisseur in your life, but I think their makeup subscription card makes for an especially fun gift that keeps giving option., Why Chloe picked this item: Simply put, an air fryer takes your cooking game to other levels. Joylux provides vaginal rejuvenation products. Thankfully, P&G Ventures recognized this massive market and started developing our innovative, targeted products years ago. Bethany Biron. Get health and wellness experts talking. Its not so much about your period ending (the literal definition of menopause); its the hormonal fluctuations before (perimenopause) and after (postmenopause) that one day event that can prove uniquely challenging to solve for. However, advertising is often difficult for femtech companies as platforms such as Facebook block ads for menopausal products, deeming them too adult. Research-backed, plant-powered, estrogen-free essentials that do what they promise. To date, Joylux has raised $16 million from angel investors and smaller female-focused funds, with many of them having a close and personal connection to these prevalent issues. Heres Elon Musks tweet confirms hes added staff beds at Twitter HQbut insists hes just helping tired employees, YouTube primal living guru Liver King, who built a $100M fitness empire, admits hes actually on steroids, CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice. Women in this life stage continue to be sorely underserved, says Female Founders Fund investor Adrianna Samaniego. Since 2014 womens health has outgrown its perception as a niche area of healthcare and developed into a key area of interest for investors, as well as the broader healthcare community. 78% of respondents indicated that menopause interferes with their lives. We think there is a huge opportunity to utilize this for menopause too, concludes Simister. Founded in 2014, the fund has built a recognized brand investing in female-run internet and software startups. You might wonder why we are talking like its a skincare product well, the decline in estrogen during this transition can result in thinning, dry, intimate skin. As of 2021, the population of females in the world is estimated at 3.905 billion , representing 49.58% of the world population. They work!, Why Anu picked this item: As an amateur gardener, I am obsessed with these hand-carved bronze gardening tools by Flamingo Estate., Why Allison picked this item: Id love basically anything from Food52 but this year I want to get these Stackable Wine Glasses perfect for a dinner party., Why Katina picked this item: Im loving this Staub Petit French Oven Rice Cooker. We started Kindra with a seemingly simple mission: empower people who experience the hormonal changes of menopause to care for their bodies naturally, safely, and holistically. And thus, in 2020 Vira Health was born, shares Berchowitz. In addition to menopausal women, many people are affected by chronic hot flashes and night sweats, including cancer patients and survivors, due to chemotherapy treatments and a variety of medical conditions and treatments, such as hysterectomies, which is an extremely common surgery for women. She also gained investing experience while interning with Harlem Capital, Google, and Cleo Capital. With so little in the way of viable solutions on the market, finding thoughtful, innovative new ways to support her is our highest priority. The long-term value of our customers is clear. We are not just developing products for the sake of expanding our product line we are going narrow and deep here less really can be more even in menopause care. CoinCarp Female Founders Fund2Web3100%Web3 As of 2021, the population of females in the world is estimated at 3.905 billion, representing 49.58% of the world population.Some of these women have gone through and some will go through menopause. Paired with a companion app, Joylux is on a mission to inform, educate and follow women as they go through the changes that menopause brings. Inequities in healthcare have been a long-standing interest of mine. And its not like the maternity experience where its nine monthsthis can last for 10 to 30 years.. Were not just building the menopause aisle; we have an opportunity to redefine menopause itself. The firm surveyed 250 women to determine which pieces of the menopause experience they want products and services to address. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Female entrepreneurs are typically less likely than men to get investment for their ventures, however female-led campaigns on crowdfunding platforms were found to be 32% more successful at . When we started talking to those who had experienced issues in the workplace due to menopause and heard what our clinical experts were seeing, we knew we had to do something., The company recently announced its $10 million Series A round, which was led by Felix Capital, with other investors including Outward VC, Seedcamp, Hambro Perks, and Form Ventures. Several years ago, I froze my eggs and the prescribed hormones impacted my eyesight. While there has been medical advancement in birth control and fertility options, not all areas have seen equal investment or innovation. Suffering in Silence: The Biases and Data Gaps of Menopause | by Female Founders Fund | Female Founders Fund 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Adrianna spent eight years in tech, most recently as co-founder in Alphabet's Startup Incubator. Just 9% reported discussing menopause with their mothers. Even better, we learn from thousands of customers who take our quiz just what interferes with their health, wellness, or day-to-day life the most. We were thrilled with the inbound interest from various startups innovating in the menopause space after we published our survey. Despite these stats, innovation for womens health in later life has been practically non-existent. Theres a $600 billion opening for businesses, the report found, based on an average $2,000 a year that the 1 billion women expected to be in menopause worldwide by 2025 spend on prescriptions, doctor visits, treatments, devices, and products to address symptoms like night sweats, loss of libido, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Caroline joined Female Founders Fund as Platform Manager following over four years living in the UK, where she graduated from the University of St. Andrews with top honors. As Operating Partner, Emily provides post-investment support and services to our portfolio founders; leads brand, content, and operations for the fund; and builds community for the female founder ecosystem. The menstrual cycle is so far from being adult or pornographic, yet it is being censored as such. Earlier this year, Female Founders Fund conducted research concluding that "responding to the needs of women experiencing menopause is a $600 billion opportunity for companies". But these symptoms are not symptomatic only for menopause. As one respondent explained it was a mystery and a challenge to know and manage such a wide range of symptoms. Female founders summit is a powerful one-day female founders fund event that gives women founders the opportunity to pitch their project or company to gain funding while learning insiders' secrets from successful entrepreneurs & investors. "We see menopause as the kick-off to the second half of life," Angelo said in an interview. According to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, almost 8 out of 10 menopausal women are at work. Read the interview below. Emily is a Board Member for the Global VC Platform Community. Now, as I enter my 50s, I am on a mission to change the way we think about menopause. Interestingly, even for non-hormonal alternatives, 53% of women would like products to be prescribed by their doctor. For menopause in particular, it appears Gen X and older Millennial women are no longer settling for the legacy productslike Depends panty linerspreviously available to them and their mothers, Foley said. It helps me get the perfect quinoa or rice always fluffy and never sticky., Why Christina picked this item: More than ever, I think we can all do with a bit of joy, a lot of color, and a good laugh so that is what I plan to gift this year with things like this needlepoint pillow from Furbish Studio., Why Susie picked this item: Another European-inspired find Ghia is a non-alcoholic aperitif founded by Melanie Masarin. Without HRT, many women have not had treatment options to address the symptoms of menopause. You can even customize the jars!, Why Allison picked this item: For your friend with a sense of humor. As of. I look forward to forging new pathways to understanding and communicating this incredible right of passage in our lives, and in doing so, expanding the market to better holistically support the whole person. I love serving festive drinks while hosting, especially during the holidays, but dont always want to default to alcohol. Startups from telehealth to supplements have begun to pop up to address the market need. For Kindra, we are poised to drive innovation and conversation around what has historically been a complicated, taboo topic for people to discuss. Women deserve better, and we are optimistic about the opportunity for innovation to drive impact. Menopause marks the end of a womans menstrual cycle and is diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period. 71% of women in their research indicated they had a negative experience when seeking care for menopause. For the future, an aspiration is to create a recognizable menopause label that can be placed on products to clearly signpost that they are helpful for menopause symptoms. The Female Founders Fund considers menopause a $600 billion opportunity for companies. In the business world, its now widely accepted that diverse companies drive stronger public and private market returns. . Effective products alone dont reach hearts and minds. Remember, our market is still nascent, AND menopause left ignored can have echoing adverse effects on a womans health. About Female Founders Fund. But then the digital health space has boomed, and the potential of the sector is now much more widely recognized. The menopausal transition can be challenging, but with more companies entering the space, were poised to see a boom in innovation and new support mechanisms created for people experiencing the hormonal changes associated with aging. According to Contemporary OB/GYN, 90 percent of post-menopausal women experience painful sex due to dryness and atrophy, leading nearly 50 . With the number of menopausal women worldwide estimated to reach1.1 billionby 2025, the market potential for menopause-related products and services is increasingly hard to ignore. News about female founders and women in VC from a seed-stage fund that invests in the exponential power of exceptional female talent. Women during this phase are looking for solutions that fall into the four key areas listed above that represent an enormous market opportunity. Most (73%) women reported that they were not currently treating their menopause, which included hot flashes (16%), weight gain (15%), difficulties with sleep (14%), and night sweats (14%), among others. Given the lack of adequate healthcare support, there is opportunity for companies to step in to provide additional support. The femtech industry has made great strides in improving womens care for menstrual health, fertility, and pregnancy, but it has largely ignored the needs of almost 1 billion globally who are entering menopause. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All elements of My Modern Menopause, from the home-kit blood tests to the labs we use to process them, to the information we curate in terms of advice, are all subject to a similar level of scrutiny, explains Parvizi-Wayne. This ring is simple and elegant with a little frosting!, Why Lisa picked this item: This is THE BEST! Systemic hormone therapy comes in the form of pill, skin patch, ring, gel, cream or spray form and typically contains higher doses of hormones that are absorbed throughout the body. Its a more sophisticated take on the popular hair bow trend and makes a casual low ponytail super chic. Plans are 12 weeks long, giving users time to learn, practice, and embed new habits. Following her graduation, she worked in London as a Marketing Associate at software start-up FrontM and as a Campaign Operations Executive at CNBC International. Navigate how the lack of support and solutions in menopause is creating larger issues for women, when they are truly reaching their prime. But theres a bigger key to really unlocking innovation in the long term. There are technically up to 34 of those challenges (we dont like to call them symptoms, because menopause is not a disease) you might face during menopause, so we developed a dynamic personalized quiz to help you assess which natural shifts are giving you the most trouble, understand where you are on your journey, and get the targeted support you need right now. Click through to find gift ideas for everyone on your list and shop holiday discounts from our female founded portfolio companies! There were a range of supplements taken by survey participants and they included black cohosh, maca, Promensil and 5HTP among others. 00 Days. You may opt-out by. Kindra is here to help solidify that roadmap, while bringing immediate go-to market solutions: education through product, empowerment through community. Earlier this year, Female Founders Fund conducted research concluding that "responding to the needs of women experiencing menopause is a $600 billion opportunity for companies". There are only 2 words for this product . Women are conditioned to fear menopause as a depressing sign of aging, but ironically, it has much more in common with puberty. For the business, we will seek out new ways to deliver on this mission, including products to further support areas of the underserved need and community tools that can offer even more personalized support. We are continuing to find vital new ways to serve them together. My husband certainly didnt know or expect me to have such mood swings or hot flashes or reduced libido or headaches and intense need for my own space and my own bed.. This is an incredible go-to for ideas about how to manage menopause and finding healthy pathways as we age. Menopause is more than an opportunity to get back in touch with the changing needs of your physical body its THE moment many people come to head with a habitualized over-functioning, people-pleasing, superwoman complex. My girlfriends are getting Skims bodysuits from me this year its appropriate for so many settings and flattering on any body., Why Elaine picked this item: As a new mom, Im a big fan of Summer Health you can now give others a year subscription to 24/7 on demand texting with a pediatrician. There are an extraordinary number of amazing female founders building women-centered products in the femtech sector that can help help improve and optimize the wellbeing and productivity of . This blanket allows you to achieve all of the above and more from the comfort of your couch. Female Founders Fund, which has invested in womens health and fertility startups including the Maven Clinic, began studying this space in part because of the investors own interest in finding a startup to back. Symptoms are both physical, such as hot flashes, weight gain and loss of libido and psychological, such as mood swings, difficulty concentrations, depression and anxiety. Fifty-nine percent of postmenopausal women reported feeling relieved or happy, compared with 29% of menopausal women and 19% of perimenopausal women. Of the $254 million invested in technology for womens health over the past decade, only 5% has gone to menopause treatments; the lions share of that funding was devoted to reproductive health and fertility. Ghia is a satisfying option made with healthy ingredients and isnt loaded with sugar. While some startups responding to pieces of this puzzle have debuted over the past yearfrom the telemedicine mens health brand Romans offshoot Rory to the startup Kindra, which sells supplements and creamsSamaniego and Female Founders Fund founder Anu Duggal say they havent yet seen a company they believe has cracked the code on this space. According to PitchBook data, femtech startups have raised more than $498 million in 2019 alone; however, only 5% of femtech startups address menopause, a market which is estimated to reach $5.3B by 2023. Prior to joining Female Founders Fund, Layla worked at Goldman Sachs on the Real Estate Investing Team, where she conducted underwriting and due diligence on deals across office, data warehousing, life science, and other asset classes. We heard over and over again that women were being misdiagnosed, told they were too young to experience menopause, or that their symptoms were in their heads. Thats more than a strategic market opportunity; its an unacceptable societal issue. We shared an interest in the opportunity to fundamentally transform later-life health for women. Emily began her career as one of SoulCycle's first corporate hires where she built out the companys first standard operating procedures, set up their national procurement system and logistics program, and led strategic operational initiatives through periods of high growth. There is a wide range for age of onset, with some women losing their menstrual cycle in their 40s and others in their late 50s. Peppy is the future of personalized health support. Hemorrhoids are a 21st century illness for which there is a solution! The amount of money women are spending on temporary solutions for these issues is astronomical. TheState of Menopause Study, conducted with 1,039 women ages 40 to 65 across the United States, showed that nearly one-third (29%) of women never sought information about menopause before they experienced it. This is when Courtion had her a-ha! I bought the exercise dress from Outdoor Voices last summer and it is my absolute favorite so I think the skort will be just as great!, Why Lisa picked this item: These savory hand pies are a nod to traditional British street food with the twist of South African and Australian flavors. Five years later in2019, 2.7% of venture capital dollars went towards companies with female entrepreneurs. All Rights Reserved. What does that look like? Her Stella plan would combine cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep scheduling, pelvic floor exercises, and other guidance related to lifestyle and behavior change. Please consider joining us on our mission to change the change. We look for super sharp builders of missions, movements, and solutions. Serving people in menopause is a health and wellness category that should have always existed. Joylux is focused on improving womens lives by applying innovative technology-driven solutions to common intimate health issues women face as they are aging and is one of the early pioneers in menopausal health with its home-use intimate wellness devices, vSculpt, and vFit Gold the first and only smart devices that harness the power of red-light to improve sexual function, bladder function, vaginal atrophy, and dryness. Initially, it was unclear what would happen to employee benefits as offices shut down and people started working from home. Generational differences may be related to thesteep declinein the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which had been the standard approach to menopause since the 1960s. While we are encouraged by the startups beginning to emerge, menopause is a $600B+ opportunity that is still largely untapped. Attention Grace provides bladder leakage solutions. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. I also love Ghias branding they usually do fun gifting packages this time of year. Borski fund a Dutch 40m fund investing in female entrepreneurs or gender-first startups. We saw an enormous need and opportunity for a home-use solution that is affordable, safe, effective, and hormone-free, explains Courtion. We are also incredibly lucky to also count many of FFF's founders as investors in our fund. 15 Foods That Take Care of Your Heart and Decrease the Risk of Heart Attacks, How to Get Rid of Blemishes in Simple and Easy Steps. We plan to continue to push the envelope on wellness in this phase of life.Over the next 5 years, I believe the market will be a much more seamless integration between all kinds of modalities of care in womens health. Since then, weve become the leading source of institutional capital for female founders raising seed capital with over $3B in enterprise value. Step two? The Helm US early-stage venture firm backing women, with 15% of its $25m fund available for Europe. It was important feedback in consumer testing with menopausal women that arthritis and osteoporosis can contribute to trouble holding things sometimes (partly due to, again, the decline in estrogen). We raised both our seed round and our series A during the pandemic, which has been quite a journey. Laylas passion for supporting underrepresented communities inspired her to work with the Columbia Organization for Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE) and Almaworks, COREs startup accelerator focused on mentoring undergraduate and graduate student founders. As understanding is a precondition to improvement, Female Founders Fund conducted a survey of 250 women to gain a better understanding of the overall needs of women throughout their menopausal journey. 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