Femtech Canada, a new network initiative by Innovation Factory, has officially launched in Toronto, Ontario. As the first organization of its kind in Canada, Femtech Canada is dedicated to fostering innovation, commercialization, and investment in women’s health technologies. This initiative comes at a crucial time, addressing a global market expected to exceed $4.8 trillion by 2025.
Femtech Canada focuses on representing and assisting companies that develop technologies aimed at improving the health and wellness of women, girls, non-binary individuals, trans people, and those assigned female at birth. The organization’s mission is to create a more inclusive and efficient healthcare ecosystem. To achieve this, Femtech Canada offers strategic networking, training, and business advisory support, including fundraising and mentorship.
The network has already built a robust ecosystem, engaging over 120 Canadian women’s health startups and scale-ups, industry partners, investors, accelerators, and service providers. These connections are crucial for fostering growth and innovation in the women’s health sector.
Rachel Bartholomew, the founder of Femtech Canada and Hyivy Health, initiated the network to address the historical challenges in women’s health, such as underfunding, lack of research, and limited access to resources. Femtech Canada serves as a collaborative platform, enabling companies to share knowledge, overcome barriers, and access the necessary tools for growth and development.
The network is supported by an advisory board that includes members from venture capital firms such as Esplanade Ventures, Amplify Capital, and Wittington Ventures, as well as femtech companies like Future Fertility and Hyivy Health. Innovation Factory, a business accelerator, also backs the initiative.
“We are truly overdue to rally around women’s health – the health of 51% of the global population. Femtech Canada exists to advance the recognition and resourcing of women’s health and wellness companies. We take a founder-first approach in all of our programming and are excited to support those innovating for the betterment of Canada’s diverse population,” says Karen Linseman, VP of Operations at Innovation Factory.
Ella Seitz, Femtech Canada advisory board member, women’s health investor and a partner at Esplanade Ventures, a leading Canadian Healthtech venture capital firm is committed to the growth of the sector and points to the tremendous investment and impact opportunity in the space, “50% of the population is not and should not be considered ‘niche’. Globally, women account for over 80% of healthcare decisions. Moreover, the femtech industry is growing at a 16% CAGR and is expected to grow to $97 billion by 2030”.
Femtech Canada’s establishment marks an important development in the women’s health sector, providing a much-needed platform for Canadian femtech companies to connect with resources, gain recognition, drive innovation, and eventually contribute to better health and care for all in Canada and beyond.
