Issue # 152 — Melinda Gates Pledges $100M for Women’s Health Research, $550M for Strive Health, $22.5M for Hello Patient

✨Hey there! You’re reading the free edition of the FemTech India newsletter — your go-to source for the latest in women’s health, industry updates, and opportunities to help you navigate what’s next in your journey.

• Strive Health, a value-based kidney care company, has raised $550 million to expand its artificial intelligence tools and broaden specialty services. The funding includes a $300 million series D equity round led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and $250 million in debt financing from Hercules Capital
• Healthcare startup Hello Patient has raised $22.5 million in Series A funding to expand its generative AI agents designed for patient communications. The round was led by Scale Venture Partners with participation from 8VC, Bling Capital, Max Ventures, Remus Capital, and FirstLook Partners, valuing the company at $100 million, according to CEO and founder Alex Cohen.
• Diana Health, a NYC-based company helping hospitals to create category-defining women’s health programs rooted in collaboration and whole-person care, raised $55M in Series C funding.
• YolTech Therapeutics, Shanghai, China-based clinical-stage biotech company, raised $45M in Series B funding.
• Odyssey Therapeutics, a Boston, MA-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, raised $213M in Series D funding.
• Lōvu Health, a Cupertino, CA-based provider of a digital maternal health platform ensuring care for mother and baby from conception through postpartum, raised $8M in Series A funding.
• SafeHeal, a Paris, France-based medical device company, raised $10M in extension of its €35M Series C funding.
• Optain Health, a Akron, OH-based healthcare technology company applying artificial intelligence (AI), robotic retinal imaging, and teleophthalmology to detect eye and systemic disease earlier, raised $26M in Series A funding.
• Israeli healthtech startup IMMA Health has secured a $1.6 million grant from the Israel Innovation Authority while earning the Seal of Excellence from the European Innovation Council. The company is developing the world’s first self-operated transvaginal ultrasound solution for at-home fertility monitoring.
• UK healthtech company Hormona has been awarded a £99,972 grant from Innovate UK to develop AI-powered clinical decision support tools for perimenopause diagnosis across the NHS. The funding will transform the company’s consumer platform into clinical tools for healthcare providers.
• Danish AI startup Prenaital has secured $1.57 million (10M DKK) in funding through BioInnovation Institute‘s Venture House program, marking a significant step forward for the company’s mission to transform prenatal care through artificial intelligence.

• Melinda Gates announces $100M investment in women’s health research.
• More Indian women than men are diagnosed with cancer, yet women face lower mortality, mainly due to early detection and diagnosis. According to estimates from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), of every 100 cancer cases in India, 51.1 per cent occur in women and 48.9 per cent in men. However, women contribute to only 45 per cent of overall cancer deaths, whereas men account for 55 percent.  
• Lifestyle changes focusing on exercise, a nutritious diet, cognitive activities and social engagement can significantly enhance brain function in older adults at risk of cognitive decline and dementia, according to a US study published in JAMA.
• Russia’s EnteroMix, an mRNA-based cancer vaccine, has completed preclinical trials and is ready for use, according to the country’s Federal Medical Biological Agency. According to preclinical trials, the vaccine has shown promising results, with a reduction in the size and growth of tumours. It will be used first on colorectal cancer
• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) have developed a novel antibody-based biosensor that can monitor the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in live cells. GPCRs are the largest family of receptor proteins in human cells and are targeted by more than one-third of all clinically prescribed medicines.
• Marijuana may damage oocytes — unfertilized eggs in female ovaries — in ways researchers worry may lead to infertility, miscarriage and possible genetic defects in babies, new research has found.
• Wellcome Leap and Pivotal, the organization founded by Melinda French Gates, have announced a $100 million partnership to accelerate women’s health research. The funding will focus on cardiovascular health, autoimmune disease, and mental health conditions that disproportionately affect women.
• Science edges towards breakthrough in male contraception. After   decades of women carrying contraceptive responsibility, advancements in the development of male contraceptives could see products approved for use within the next few years, with the potential to shift the burden of birth control.
• Voice changes in menopause are often overlooked, despite affecting women significantly, especially those in jobs where the voice is central to daily work, new research has revealed. A review of existing studies found that vocal changes receive far less attention than symptoms such as hot flushes or brain fog, even though they can have major consequences for teachers, reporters and voice actors.
• Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome face long waits for diagnosis and poor access to treatment, a parliamentary report has warned. More than a third of women with PCOS waited over four years for a diagnosis, according to findings from the all-party parliamentary group.

• WeightWatchers has launched a new menopause support programme with Grammy and Emmy Award-winning, Oscar-nominated actress and health advocate Queen Latifah as its first spokeswoman.The programme combines medical care, nutrition guidance, fitness support and community access for women from perimenopause through post-menopause.
• Poly Medicure Limited has announced the acquisition of PendraCare Group in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The acquisition is aimed at expanding Poly Medicure’s cardiology business on a global scale.
• Reckitt, a leading global consumer health and hygiene company, has partnered with PATH, a global nonprofit organization, and Centre for Health Research and Innovation (CHRI), to launch the Dettol Banega Swasth India – Maternal and Child Health Tech Accelerator.
• Redcliffe Labs has launched a new diagnostic laboratory in Midnapore, West Bengal, further strengthening its reach across East and West Midnapore and neighboring towns, including Khargapur, Jhargram, Contai, Ghatal, Tamluk, and Haldia.
• eGenesis, one of the biotech companies developing gene-edited pigs whose organs are transplanted into humans, said Monday that the US Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to human trials involving kidneys from its pigs.

• The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has launched ‘Never Alone’, an AI-driven mental health and wellness app for students. The app is designed to tackle stress and raise awareness about mental health issues. The initiative was launched on World Suicide Prevention Day.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• The pressure cooker effect: Student mental health under siege in India’s education system. The mental health of Indian students faces a severe crisis due to immense academic pressure, hyper-competitive exams, and societal expectations
• 3 foods that may help manage irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic digestive disorder characterised by severe symptoms affecting quality of life
• Does waist-to-height ratio offer a better measure than outdated BMI? Experts explain why the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is emerging as a more effective predictor of health outcomes, especially liver disease, than the traditional Body Mass Index (BMI)

🎉Have news to share? Publish a press release on FemTech India to reach industry-leading executives, investors, and passionate individuals.

See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

[Sign up here to never miss on the latest updates.]