Issue #70 – 42% Indian Women Feel Underpaid in Tech.

Hello and welcome to the 70th edition of your go-to source for weekly updates on women’s health innovation and FemTech.

Happy Friday,  ✨

I hope you had the BEST Valentine’s Day, whether you celebrated it with your significant other, parents, best friend, or even your furry companion. It’s a day for everyone to cherish love in all its forms. The focus of today’s email perfectly aligns with this theme of love. 

The STANDARDS we love to set: 

Have you ever felt the pressure to take on free work, especially when asked nicely? We all have, but for women in tech, this unspoken expectation can be compounded by societal pressure to be agreeable.

But here’s the truth: unpaid work isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a form of discrimination. A recent survey in India revealed that 42% of women in tech perceive pay inequity, while 60% feel sidelined in decision-making, despite 90% believing their companies lack concrete action for gender diversity. We’re expected to do more, contribute more, for less recognition and reward.

Don’t get me wrong, progress is happening. The Global Capability Center (GCC) sector, for example, seems to be getting it right. Sixty percent of women there report feeling valued and included. But for the majority, the story remains grim.

It’s time to say no. No to the extra tasks, the last-minute requests, the invisible workload that weighs us down. We deserve equal pay, equal opportunities, and equal respect. 

Say no to unpaid work that exploits your talent. Demand transparency in pay and opportunities. And if you’re in a leadership role, champion authentic DEI practices that go beyond marketing slogans. 

The time for “no biggie” favours is over. Let’s build together.

Sesaon2 Is here: 

There are a few things I love as much as FemTech, my family, Coffee, workouts, and great conversations. 

Last year, I launched this podcast with a mission to raise awareness about women’s health in India and to foster connections with FemTech founders worldwide. Our motto? Collaboration over competition! Let’s inspire and support each other on this journey. It’s not always easy, but together, we can make a difference. We have completed the 25-episode milestone, and whether you’re a founder or just interested in learning about FemTech and women’s health, this podcast is for you. 

We’re about to change the game in women’s health in India. 

Follow us on Instagram, Spotify and Apple podcasts. 

Ahhh I love FemTech, Is there anything else I can say?

NOPE. 

With love,

Navneet 

• Medtech startup Noccarc raised $2 Mn (about INR 16.6 Cr) in a funding round led by the Indian Angel Network (IAN). The funding round also saw participation from IIT Kanpur, SIDBI, and TDB.
• Healthtech startup Aarogya Tech raised around $1.8 million seed funding round, with $1.5 million in fresh capital led by Hasu P Shah.
• D2C food brand Yu has secured INR 20 Cr (around $2.4 Mn) in Series A funding. The startup has ventured into products such as natural beverages, coconut water, and pasta, among others.
• D2C homecare startup Happi Planet has raised INR 8.47 Cr (about $1 Mn) in a strategic funding round from Fireside Ventures. 

• AI health specialist Ambience Healthcare, which specializes in AI-powered applications and an operating system to improve system efficiency for organizations, announced a $70 million funding round.
• Elidah, a healthcare tech company pioneering FDA-cleared non-invasive, wearable urinary incontinence treatments for women, is excited to announce the successful completion of its Series A funding round.
• Essence, a France-based startup that elevates the performance of female employees by optimizing their schedule according to the hormonal cycle, raised $600K in funding.
• SingleTimeMicroneedles, a Farmington, CT-based microneedle drug development and delivery company, raised an undisclosed amount in Pre-Seed funding.
• Areteia Therapeutics, a NC-based clinical stage biotechnology company, raised additional $75M in Series A funding.

• Scientists have developed a new technique that makes human T cells more than 100 times more potent at killing cancer cells. Human T cells, key players in the immune system, hold immense potential in the quest for a cancer cure
• Giving an oral dose of antibiotic azithromycin to pregnant people may be a cost-saving treatment for reducing maternal sepsis, death or infection in developing countries, according to a study that used data from seven countries, including India.
• Research out today from Finland suggests women may find it harder to adjust to later-life divorce and break-ups than men. They found antidepressant use increased in the four years leading to the relationship dissolution in both genders, with women experiencing a more significant increase.
• Samsung launche the Samsung Ultrasound Institute of Technology and Education (theSUITE), a new Women’s Health ultrasound digital platform for sonologists, sonographers and healthcare professionals. theSUITE will formally debut at the 44th Annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Meeting.
• More than half of UK employees have got or are considering getting a new job to gain reproductive benefits, new research has found.  Maven Clinic has released its third annual State of Women’s and Family Health Benefits report, providing a forecast for global fertility and family benefits trends in the year to come.
• A novel technique could be effective at detecting specific biomarkers that are present in the urine of ovarian cancer patients, a new study has found. The research, conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University, could one day play a role in helping doctors more accurately diagnose ovarian cancer.
• A group of researchers are analysing the possibility of delaying menopause in healthy women, allowing them to extend their child-bearing years, and perhaps even forestall some of the health risks and uncomfortable symptoms.
• University of Washington researchers have developed a smart wireless earring capable of continuously monitoring a user’s earlobe temperature. The Thermal Earring outperformed a smartwatch at sensing skin temperature during periods of rest.

• The US fertility technology company Alife Health has teamed up with a network of laboratories to pilot an AI technology for embryo image capture and cataloguing.
• Shine Ventures, an angel investment fund investing in early-stage start-ups, has announced a seed stage investment in a new innovation hub to help raise awareness of overlooked sexual health conditions.
• Invitae, a leading medical genetics company, today announced it has completed the sale of certain reproductive health assets, which include carrier screening and non-invasive prenatal screening, to Natera.

• PeeSafe, on the occasion of 38th NWWA Divas, signed an MoU with the Indian Navy and Navy Welfare and Wellness Association as part of India’s “Women in White” campaign.
• Sirona’s Head of Marketing has been selected as distinguished juror for the 15th edition of the e4m IDMA – Indian Digital Marketing Awards, 20214
• Momly was officially incubated at the esteemed IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Center.
• Plush was featured among India’s top 100 startups by Sutra Services Pvt. Ltd.
• Niramai Health Analytix hosted a Cancer Day webinar featuring keynote speaker Padmashree winner. Dr. Harsh Mahajan.

• NITI Aayog, ICMR and CDSCO spearhead second regulatory awareness workshop to empower medtech innovators
• IISc and BFI have teamed up to maximise translational research projects where the latter aims to allocate US$1 million. The collaboration, under the BFI-Biome Virtual Network Programme, will see BFI to support various research projects at the IISc.
• In a significant development aimed at bolstering India’s healthcare research capabilities, the Mumbai-based National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH) is set to conduct an intensive training course focusing on human disease models.

• Your Top Health Questions of 2023, Answered: A roundup on tackled congestion, constipation, coffee and more. Here’s the advice you need for a vigorous year.
• How Much Advil Is Too Much? Ibuprofen can be a blessing for those with aches and pains, but overdoing it poses serious risks.

• Your unique smell can provide clues about how healthy you are:  We smell differently when we are unwell. 
• Physical activity not enough to offset heart disease risk from sugary drinks– Physical activity does not fully eliminate heart disease risk from sugary beverages
• Researchers find chemical changes in bullied teens’ brains associated with psychosis Bullying in adolescence may increase risk of psychosis in later years. 

See you next Friday, friends 👋

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