Issue #72 – Let’s Leap 💌

This year, as we celebrate the extra day of February, let’s also celebrate the extra power within each woman. It’s a reminder that every day, we have the potential to be whoever we want to be.

This message resonates deeply with me, coming from a culture often stereotyped as demure and domestic. But the world is changing, and women are breaking free from limitations.

A recent study by City Index, a global financial services firm, revealed the countries with the highest number of female billionaires. The United States leads the pack with 97, followed by China with 42, Germany with 22, and Italy with 19.

And guess what? India isn’t far behind, ranking fifth with a remarkable 15 female billionaires! Savitri Jindal, the richest woman in India, and Rohiqa Cyrus Mistry are just two shining examples. They are living proof that women can be whoever they want to be, no matter their background or culture.

I didn’t mean that we need to be cliché and shout about girl power from the rooftops (although, honestly, sometimes that can be pretty empowering too!) I mean business.

At FemTech India, I work with founders to imagine, build, and scale into new markets. Most women’s health businesses are built for change; they spend a lot of time talking about it and they get left behind. 

Make that first move, Let’s leap. 

Your Friend, 

Navneet

• Healthtech startup Zeno Health has raised $25 Mn in its Series C funding round led by South Korean private equity (PE) firm STIC Investments. The round also saw participation from existing investor Lightbox.
• Zvolv, a global hyper-automation company in Indian and other countries raised ₹16 crore. Zvolv expects to expand further into the US healthcare space, as per the release from the CEO.
  
• New-Delhi based fertility treatment clinic, Gaudium IVF is about to secure ₹100 crore, in a fundraising initiative to expand footprint in the country.
• Foodtech startup TWF Flours has raised INR 12 Cr ($1.4 Mn) in a pre-Series A funding round from Nithin Kamath-led Zerodha’s Rainmatter Capital. 

• Baseimmune, a London, UK-based biotech company that uses proprietary, deep learning AI to predict future pathogen mutations to generate novel vaccines, raised £9M in Series A funding.
• Yendou, a Berlin, Germany-based provider of a clinical operations automation platform, raised $1.3m in pre-seed funding.
• Medical Microinstruments, a Pisa, Italy-based robotics company dedicated to increasing treatment options and improving clinical outcomes for patients with complex conditions, raised $110M in Series C funding.
• Ema, an AI platform dedicated to transforming women’s health and wellness, has successfully concluded its latest bridge round of funding, securing nearly $2 million.

• The Tata Institute in Mumbai, a premier cancer research and treatment facility in India, has claimed to have discovered a treatment that can prevent the resurgence of cancer the second time. 
• Bill Gates lauds India’s “unique effort” for women’s empowerment with a new alliance. 
• Exposure to extreme temperatures driven by climate change will increase risk of preterm birth by 60 per cent, causing several lifelong complications for millions of children around the world, a new research has found.
• A recent study has revealed that drugs blocking the activity of sensory nerves could potentially slow or stop the growth of certain head and neck cancers. The research, found that sensory nerves within the tumour microenvironment play a role in accelerating tumour growth by impeding the immune system’s ability to generate specific T-cells.
• In a significant development, India has completed the sequencing of 10000 genomes of Indian population. Preliminary findings have brought forth huge number of rare variants, discovery of diseases indicating variants,  resistance indicating variants and novel insights into the population history.
• Middle-aged individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease may find the amount of fat in their abdominal organs significantly related to their brain volumes and cognitive function.
• Women who suffer from perinatal depression―depression during pregnancy and up to one year after delivery―have a higher risk of death by both natural and unnatural causes, irrespective of preexisting psychiatric disorders, two new studies report. Perinatal depression affects up to 20 per cent of all pregnant women.

• The US OB/GYN-founded vitamin company Perelel has pledged US$10m to Magee-Womens Research Institute and Good+ Foundation to fund women’s health research and address gaps in maternal healthcare.
• Swedish start-up Pharmista Technologies, a participant in SmiLe’s incubator programme, is to join the Venture Lab programme in Copenhagen.
• Mother Goose Health, a digital maternal health platform, has announced the addition of a new lactation service. This service is part of a strategic collaboration with Nest Collaborative, a leading virtual lactation consultation provider, and The Breastfeeding Shop, which supplies quality breast pumps.
• Elevate, launched by Ease Healthcare, a leading women’s health ecosystem in Asia, aims to address metabolic health and weight management issues specifically tailored for women

• Cevicheck was featured on Shark Tank India Season 3, will be telecasted Mon – Fri – 10PM IST Sony LIV/ Sony entertainment. 
• Swarnima Bhattacharya, Co-founder of Gytree received BW Businessworld for HealthExcellence award. 
• Sirona was featured on Outlook Start-up edition and had by-lines from Deep Bajaj, the co-founder.
• Abhishek Mohan, CEO Hempstreet published a thoughtware on Wealthy and Unwell: Decoding India’s Rising Health Crisis
• Newmi published a thoughtware on the topic “Should Period Leave be mandated in the workplace” in the form of an informative carousel.
• Rocket Health released a new video on the concept of the pursuit for the perfect skin in India’s fair skin-obsessed culture to bring about awareness on skin shaming.

• PM has launched the Advanced Level Research Centre (ALRC) of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) to boost pharmaceutical research and development. The event marks the establishment of a state-of-the-art laboratory facility dedicated to advancing standards and research in the pharmaceutical sector.
• The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has recommended to the government to persuade private insurance companies to include Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) treatments in their products and look at global acceptance for these systems of medicines through legalisation and insurance support in other countries.

• Sleep’s impact on memory consolidation: New function of sleep offers an evolutionary advantage
• Does Beer Before Liquor Actually Make You Sicker? We asked alcohol researchers to explain what will — and won’t — prevent a hangover.
• Why High Blood Pressure Matters to Your Health. And how to get it under control.

• Better air quality linked to reduced suicide rates: Study. Lower air pollution levels may be associated with reduced suicide rates, according to a study conducted in China. 
• First, a Cancer Diagnosis. Then a Split-Second Decision About Fertility.Young women who find out they have breast cancer often have a very short window to make lifelong decisions about their futures.

Women’s Day is coming up soon, take advantage of these offers and show your support for your femtech girlies 

• Humm Care  –  30 % off all Programs 
• Newmi –  50 % off on all yoga packages – Code – wonderwomen5

See you next Friday, friends 👋

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