FUNDING:
- Serigen Mediproducts, a company that offers a range of medical products using silk protein, has secured a seed funding round of Rs 5.8 crore from Colossa Ventures and BioAngels (supported by IAN and BIRAC).
- Dozee, India’s first contactless Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) & AI-based Early Warning System (EWS) has raised $6 Million as part of its Series A2 funding. The round saw the infusion of funds from Dozee’s existing investor base consisting of Prime Venture Partners, 3one4 Capital, YourNest VC, and new investors.
Global Funding:
- Eli, a Canadian healthtech company working on a saliva-based hormone testing solution has raised $3.7M (5M CAD) in new funding to take its product through clinical validation and regulatory approvals ahead of a commercial launch.
- Reproductive health company Clue – known for its pioneering cycle tracking app – is adding €7M in funding to support further growth and product development. The company had raised €16M to support the roll-out of Clue Birth Control, its FDA-cleared digital contraceptive back in December 2021, and has since also launched a fertility focused product, Clue Conceive.
- Longevity Venture Partners (LVP), a venture capital firm focused on investing in companies that develop technologies and solutions to support the aging population, has closed a $30M fund.
FemTech News:
- Nike is to launch its first leakproof product line to help women stay active when menstruating. The new Nike One leak protection period shorts features an absorbent liner that helps protect against period leaks, along with proprietary material technology.
- In a first of its kind, the Government of India has announced the launch of establishing Health Museums to showcase models, specimens, and studies related to public health.
- People are using ChatGPT for Mental Health Therapy. Read more on what health experts have to say regarding this.
- Researchers in the UK are to test the world’s first testosterone patch for menopause in a move that could have a “huge” potential to improve women’s lives.
- Privacy check for women: how your data is being used in 2023 – As Women’s History Month draws to an end, Cybernews reflects on the female population’s many accomplishments in tech over the past year. Take, for instance, how the growth of female-driven apps, such as the monthly menstrual tracker, inadvertently pushes women to advocate for their own health – read here
- Approximately 80 percent of women indicate that menopause interferes with their lives, and roughly one-third of these women also experience depression.
- About 40 percent of women with infertility are reported to experience depression, and another 35 percent are reported to experience anxiety.
- Women with endometriosis have about three times higher healthcare costs on average. Furthermore, approximately half of women with endometriosis reported earning less money as a result of the impact of endometriosis symptoms
- Period pain can disrupt women’s lives, with about 40 percent of young women reporting negative effects on classroom performance and about 20 percent reporting school absences due to pain.
Global Companies:
- Christina Aguilera, the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and entrepreneur, has been named Co-Founder and Chief Brand Advisor of Playground, a sexual wellness brand that creates innovative intimacy products designed to improve women’s sexual pleasure and health.
- Vella Bioscience whose Women’s Pleasure Serum has been granted the brands first patent for the use of cannabinoids in treating Antidepressant-Induced Female Sexual Dysfunction by the Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
- The London-based femtech start-up Elvie has partnered with HSBC UK to accelerate growth and support new product development. Using an eight-figure funding package, Elvie aims to expand its existing product categories, support new product development using smarter technology to solve female health challenges in new areas, and continue to expand into new markets.
- Fillow launched its first-ever product, Fillow Disc, on Kickstarter. This period disc is the first-ever to come with an applicator, combining the ease and convenience of tampons with the reusability and all-day-wear of period cups. Made from 100% medical-grade materials, Fillow’s reusable product was designed for menstruators who struggle with traditional cups, yet are still seeking a sustainable or longer lasting option.
- Boston Imaging, the US headquarters of Samsung’s digital radiography and ultrasound business, has introduced a premium women’s health ultrasound to “free” healthcare professionals from repetitive tasks.
FemTech India Partner Company News:
- Sirona participated in Shiv Nadar University’s “Fempreneur” event which focused on supporting female entrepreneurs coming from rural parts of India.
- Gytree Femtech Nxt 2023 is the first conference in India looking at comprehensive digital health and women. Disparities, gender roles, discrimination, and ignorance put so many women at extreme risk.This virtual conference will be held today, celebrated as the World Health Day.
- Swati Kulkarni of Elda Health joined Shilpa Ajwani, CEO of Unomantra to discuss issues including imposter syndrome, self-care, and how to tune with one’s body.
- Miyara conducted a workshop on Emotional Eating- and tips to break the eating cycle. The workshop was handled by Dr. Gargi Sandilya, Psychologist.
Drugs, Diagnostics, and Pharma:
- QubeHealth, one of India’s leading FinTech for HealthTech startups, has announced its partnership with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and BaaS startup, Falcon to introduce premium healthcare payment products for employed Indians.
- Redcliffe Labs, one of the fastest growing pan-India omnichannel diagnostics chain has acquired Medicentre Sonography & Clinical Lab, largest independent diagnostic lab chain across Southern Rajasthan offering an integrated diagnostic test menu across pathology and radiology.
- Klass Pack Limited (KPL) is in the business of primary pharmaceutical packaging and manufactures tubular glass vials and ampoules for the pharmaceutical industry. Borosil Limited has signed a binding share purchase agreement (SPA) through its subsidiary KPL to acquire an initial 90.17% stake in Goel Scientific Glass Works Limited (GSGWL).
Government News:
- India’s new Foreign Trade Policy, unveiled recently by Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, will support the pharma sector to sustain its leadership status in global markets. The Union government said that with the new Foreign Trade Policy, it envisages India achieve the target of US$ 2 trillion in exports by 2030. It further underlines the focus to promote and regulate trade.
- The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers has recommended the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to look into the reasons for the lukewarm response of the industry towards the Pharmaceutical Technology Upgradation Assistance Scheme (PTUAS) under the central sector scheme of Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Industry (SPI) and take remedial measures after discussion with the industry.
Research, Insights, and Market Projections:
- New figures have shown that one in three female employees experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, twice the estimated UK adult rates. The report, conducted by the mental health app Wysa, has found that 36 per cent of working women struggle with anxiety symptoms while 31 percent struggle with depression. The majority of the women who screened as suffering depression or anxiety at levels that suggest moderate to severe symptoms have admitted that they did not speak to a healthcare professional.
- Women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with women making up two-thirds of the population living with AD. A new study, led by Mass General Brigham researchers, claimed on the relationship between the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and age of menopause and use of hormone therapy (HT)
- An international team of researchers have published the largest study to date on the genetic basis of endometriosis, suggesting genetic links exist between endometriosis and conditions such as migraine and back pain.
- A clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that a medication, denosumab, significantly reduced abnormal bone turnover in adults with fibrous dysplasia, a rare disease marked by weak and misshapen bones. Bone turnover, a process in which old bone is continuously replaced with new bone, is unusually accelerated in fibrous dysplasia and contributes to bone abnormalities.
Jobs on Board:
- Pee Safe is looking for a Founder’s Office Role Resource. Pee Safe was a Top 10 startup in 2020 by LinkedIn and was awarded as Amazon’s SMB brand of the year 2020.
- iMumz is looking for a Customer Experience Associate. iMumz is a digital platform for pregnancy and parenting.
- Allo Health is looking for a Channel Expansion Operations Specialist. Allo is India’s first digital health clinic for sexual wellbeing.
- Allo Health is looking for a Content Writer, and for a Social Media Specialist (Internship). Allo is India’s first digital health clinic for sexual wellbeing.
- Kindly is looking for a content writer. Kindly is Asia’s only diagnostics-first platform for sexual care and performance health.
