Since launching the Women’s Health Tech Challenge in 2018, HITLAB has committed to being at the forefront of impactful change in women’s health, inviting global innovators and entrepreneurs to come together every year to propose their novel solutions to health issues affecting women everywhere.
Last week on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day a global audience came together again for HITLAB’s third-annual Women’s Health Tech Challenge. Five femtech founders startups took the virtual stage to pitch their game-changing health concepts.
The finalists—HERA, HeyJane, LactApp, Hyivy Health, and K’ept Health—had been selected from a pool of 125 applicants representing 24 countries. Their innovations, described below, all leveraged digital technology to address a range of women’s health issues, from preventive health access in Syrian refugee camps and abortion-pill access in the U.S. to lactation support, pelvic-disese rehabilitation, and tone-specific personalized skin care.
“Female founders are a force to be recognized,” said Susan Solinsky, WHT director and chief growth officer at Ellipsis Health, in her opening remarks. “It will take all of us to create a community that can amplify the voices and talents of women leaders. We’re building a community of men and women that believe women should have a seat at the table–especially where women’s health issues are concerned.”
In the end K’ept Health was named the Grand Prize Winner. The company is on a mission to redefine the world of skincare, providing the first holistic and culturally proficient digital skincare and dermatology clinic from the comfort of home. K’ept Health’s smart technology solution is revolutionizing the traditional means of care, designed around putting a woman’s needs first at an affordable price. With 24/7 skin health monitoring, private messaging, and appointment-free virtual care from vetted practitioners, K’ept Health is a changing the landscape for female-centered skincare for all skin tones and types.