Every Monday we share a quick “best of” from the week that was with our Inner Circle members. What’s trending in the Femtech Insider community and beyond? We’ve got you covered! In this week's brief we talk about Rosy's Seed Round and the Competitive Advantage of "Provider-led Growth", plus...
- The Rise of Audio Erotica
- Youth and the Future of Health Governance
- Event: How to Raise a Femtech Fund (with Amboy Street Ventures)
Rosy and the Competitive Advantage of "Provider-led Growth"
Last week Rosy's seed round gathered a lot of attention among our readers. Tl;dr: "Sexual Wellness startup Rosyhas raised $2M in seed funding for its app, helping women to address their sexual health challenges. The Rosy app is designed and supported by doctors and psychologists and allows women access to evidence-based information and interventions."
Today Rosy offers courses, community and coaching as well as a signature library of original audio erotica, a cornerstone of the program. Founded by OB/GYN Dr. Lyndsey Harper, Rosy's strongest channel for customer acquisition (and competitive advantage) from the beginning has been the doctor's office. Many providers don't feel educated to support women's sexual wellness and consider Rosy a trusted partner to support patients, which has led to many referrals and solid organic growth. Prominently featured on the website is a CTA for providers to order flyers for their practices - smart move.
The moral of the story? As many in our space are still struggling with advertising bans (see last issue), it might be worth asking yourself whether there is a way to work doctor-led growth into your strategy. How are you complementing in-clinic offerings? How are providers in your space incentivized and compensated? How can you help them up-level their offering / reputation / acqusition? #foodforthought
More about Rosy
👉 Rosy Website
👉 Femtech Insider Interview with Rosy Founder Dr. Lyndsey Harper
👉 Dr. Lyndsey Harper's "It's not a Niche, B****" Femtech Campaign
WhileRosy's doctor-led & "doctor-distributed" approach is quite unique in the sexual wellness space, many other audio erotica apps have entered the market over the past couple of months and years, so today's round-up is dedicated to them!
Read on... 👇
The Rise of Audio Erotica: Sexual Wellness Startups We're Watching
Voice had a moment in 2021. Clubhouse and its (very early stage) "femtech twin" VoiceHer, early activity around vocal biomarkers and of course the rise of audio-based apps in the sexual wellness space got many in our community talking (and investing). Today's round-up is inspired by Rosy's raise and dedicated to audio erotica apps we have on our radar as of late.
7 Audio Erotica Startups We're Watching
1. &Jane
"We created &Jane to make positive, erotic content that prioritizes diversity, sophistication, imagination and privacy, all told from the female perspective."
2. Dipsea
"Where sexual wellness meets storytelling. Sexy audio stories and intimate wellness sessions. Relatable, feminist, and celebratory."
3. Emjoy
"We want to normalize female pleasure one audio at a time with no-frills, real facts, and real fun."
4. Quinn
"Audio erotica for women"
5. Vibio
"Vibio makes high-end app controlled sex toys designed based on human anatomy to maximize pleasure." The company recently released an audio-erotica based. companion app.
6. Ferly
"Your Audio Guide To Mindful Sex"7. And Rosy of course.
See above. :)
Special mention for Mystery Vibe, who launched "Pleasure Finder", the first sexual education Google Assistant dedicated to sexual health and wellness earlier this year.
Upcoming Inner Circle Events
Dec 7, 2021, 6pm BST - How to Raise a Femtech Fund: Reflecting on Year 1 of Amboy Street Ventures
"We believe billion dollar companies will emerge in order to bridge the gap between the underserved Sexual and Women’s Health Tech space and the needs of today’s society. We are female investors who are living through the issues facing women. We know the potential to help drive the market and make genuine change happen", said Amboy Street Ventures Founding Partner Carli Sapir back in March, when the fund official launched after many months of preparation. And so far the new team has lived up to that promise with investments in sexual wellness brands Dame and Dipsea as well as menopause startup Gennev.
As we near the end of 2021, we invite you to join us as we reflect on the "femtech year that was" together with Carli Sapir.
Claim your free ticket for the event using the Inner Circle promo code: beauty
Youth & The Future of Health Governance
Digital and data tools are fundamentally changing approaches to health and the design of health systems, but governance models have not followed the pace of innovation. The Lancet and Financial Times Commission have teamed up to launch Governing health futures 2030, which explores the convergence of digital health, artificial intelligence (AI), and other frontier technologies with universal health coverage (UHC) to support attainment of the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
The Commission has also established a Youth Team within its Secretariat to hear the concerns and proposed solutions from youth on the future health governance they want. This Youth Team has recently released their statement, which underscores three key aspects youth want to see in the future of health governance: a human rights based approach; strong and inclusive governance mechanisms; and the fostering of digital skills, education, and innovation.
"Today's children and young people are growing up in a time of radical digital transformation, rapidly changing information ecosystems, widespread integration of digital technologies, and other social, political, and environmental shifts. By 2030, almost 40% (3·3 billion) of the world's population will be younger than 25 years. As the most active users of digital technology and digital media, this generation stands to gain—or lose—the most from the digital transformations in all domains, including health."
👉 Read:Governing Health Futures 2030: Youth Statement + Call to Action
👉 Learn: More about Governing Health Futures 2030
