In recent years femtech has emerged as a promising field in Japan. Femtech focuses on leveraging technology to address the unique health challenges faced by women, including menstruation, infertility, and menopause. With the aim of providing better solutions and support for women’s healthcare and innovation, Femtech Community Japan has created a comprehensive map highlighting the key players in the industry. The following article will provide an overview of the femtech landscape in Japan and discuss the various categories and trends shaping the industry.
Femtech in Japan: Overview and Trends
The most recent edition of the femtech player map includes a total of 55 companies as of June 2023. The map highlights the prevalence of companies focusing on fertility and infertility, with 22 companies in this category. It is followed by menstruation & contraception and healthcare & hormone, each with 14 companies, while menopause and gynecological symptoms have a smaller number of players but still present innovative products and services.
Technological Advancements in Femtech
In addition to categorizing companies based on health issues, the map also takes into account the technology utilized by each player. Many products and services in femtech rely on IT and digital technologies as crucial implementation tools. The map specifically showcases deeptech, which includes products and services that leverage technologies such as sensing and detection of biological data, new testing and diagnostic techniques, and data analysis using machine learning and deep learning.
The Current Landscape and Future Outlook
Although Japan’s femtech industry is still growing, there is significant potential for further innovation and expansion. Looking at international femtech companies, it becomes apparent that numerous deeptech enterprises, originating from universities and research institutions, have emerged. With Japan’s strong technological background, it is expected that more femtech companies will enter and expand the market by combining IT, digital solutions, and deeptech approaches.
The Importance of Women’s Health and Wellness
The increasing focus on women’s health and wellness has attracted attention not only in the context of technological innovation but also within society. Various initiatives and products/services have been launched in Japan to address the gaps in women’s health and wellness. These endeavors are expected to provide new insights and solutions, benefiting many women who have silently dealt with health issues.
Sector-specific Trends in Femtech
- Menstruation & contraception: Menstrual issues related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) have gained significant media attention. Menstrual tracking apps and online prescription services have emerged as popular femtech solutions. Pioneers like LunaLuna have expanded their services to encompass fertility and hormone-related health management. Furthermore, new features targeting younger demographics, such as smartphone apps like PAIRCARE and care.me, which allow easy symptom-sharing with partners and family members via LINE, have garnered attention.
- Pregnancy & infertility: With the introduction of insurance coverage for infertility treatments in April 2022, the number of products and services supporting patients, companies, and healthcare professionals in the field of fertility and infertility has increased. Knowledge expansion regarding pregnancy and infertility has become crucial for couples, partners, and society as a whole. Companies like famione offer consultation platforms, Varinos provides analysis services for uterine flora, and vivola focuses on analyzing infertility treatment data. Furthermore, startups like Dioseve utilize advanced technologies such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) for infertility treatments.
- Menopause: Startups specializing in menopause-related online medical consultations and chat services have emerged. TRULY, a chat service dedicated to menopause, has been joined by new players like YStory, which aims to provide personalized self-care support based on individual data. While the number of companies centered on deeptech approaches is still limited, initiatives such as the 2022 survey on menopause by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and government efforts to promote women’s empowerment in management positions are expected to drive the introduction of more menopause-related services.
- Healthcare & hormones: B2B2E services, targeting corporate employees as part of women’s empowerment and health management initiatives, offer a wide range of education, awareness, and support for women’s healthcare. Companies addressing comprehensive women’s health issues, including online prescription services and hormone testing kits for home use, are prevalent. The trend of remote and online service delivery, which has seen an increase globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is also expected to continue expanding in Japan.
- Gynecological symptoms: Services primarily focused on non-invasive and painless early detection and diagnosis of conditions like breast cancer and genetic risk assessment have emerged. Solutions that reduce barriers to gynecological check-ups and examinations are expected to continue growing.
Technological and Digital Categories
- IT and digital: Online services, such as apps and digital platforms, have gained popularity among younger generations who actively embrace their usage. Various online services are available for menstruation, contraception, pregnancy, and infertility. In the healthcare and hormone category, B2B2E services support corporate employees through education, awareness, and support programs. Experts predict that these categories will expand to include online consultations, community building, and direct-to-consumer (D2C) product offerings.
- Deeptech: The map features 18 companies focused on deeptech, which involves cutting-edge technologies like sensing and detection of biological data, innovative testing and diagnostic techniques, and data analysis using machine learning and deep learning. Considering Japan’s strong technology background in universities, research institutions, and large corporations, there is considerable potential for revolutionary innovation in the femtech × deeptech field.
Femtech in Japan: An Industry on the Rise
Femtech in Japan is a rapidly growing sector that holds great promise for addressing women’s health challenges through technological advancements. The femtech player map provides a comprehensive overview of the key players in the industry, categorizing them based on health issues and technological approaches. With ongoing innovations and increased awareness of women’s health and wellness, the femtech industry in Japan is expected to witness further growth, attracting more companies, investors, and stakeholders. By leveraging technology and fostering collaborations, femtech has the potential to revolutionize women’s healthcare and improve the overall well-being of women in Japan.
