Issue #96 – Is AI the Hottest Tech?

Happy FemTech Friday, 

AI is on fire! In the first half of 2024, It’s not just hype—AI is seriously reshaping the venture capital landscape. In the first half of 2024, AI deals alone accounted for 41% of all VC funding in the US, according to the latest PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. 

The investment isn’t just coming from traditional VC firms —big deals are coming from all kinds of investors. 

But here’s where it gets even more interesting: AI isn’t just taking over tech in general. It’s also making a huge impact in FemTech and women’s health. In 2023 alone, FemTech attracted around $1.14 billion in investments through 120 deals. 

It’s clear—AI isn’t just a trend; it’s becoming a powerhouse across industries.

Read Here

• Personal care brand Beco  raised $10 million as part of its pre-Series B funding round. The round was led by Tanglin Venture Partners, with participation from Titan Capital Winners Fund.
• Kalm Therapeutics, a Huntsville, AL-based preclinical drug development company, raised $700K in Seed funding.
• Clare&me, a Berlin, Germany-based AI mental health tech startup, raised $4M in funding.
• NovAliX, a Strasbourg, France-based preclinical contract research organisation (CRO) specializing in expert drug discovery services, received an investment from Bruker
• Consensus, a Boston, MA-based provider of an AI-powered search engine for scientific research, raised $11.5M in Series A funding.
• Create Health Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage digital health startups, has officially launched with the closing of its inaugural fund of $21 million.
• AI-powered Feeling Great app has raised $8 million in seed funding to bring innovative mental health care solutions to users worldwide. This funding round was co-led by Learn Capital and TitleTownTech, with additional participation from Lux Ventures, WaveMaker Three-Sixty Health, Pacific Health Ventures, and Treble Capital.

• Chemicals commonly found in sunscreen, makeup and other personal care products could be putting pregnancies at risk, a new study warns.Phenols and parabens in these products increase a pregnant woman’s risk of high blood pressure by 57%, particularly at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, researchers reported Aug. 14 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
• Untreated high blood pressure in your 60s could raise your risk for Alzheimer’s disease later, new research shows. The good news: Simple steps can ease hypertension, researchers said.
• Older Americans already dread shingles, and they may now have one more reason to do so: A painful episode could raise their odds for cognitive decline.A new study found a 20% higher risk that an older person would experience “subjective cognitive decline” if they’d gone through a bout of shingles.
• Ovarian cancer is known as a “silent killer,” since by the time symptoms arise the disease has often already spread. But in certain cases of aggressive ovarian cancer, symptoms do arise in the tumor’s early stages. In those instances, doctors on the alert can act quickly, offering patients a much better prognosis, a new study finds.
• Aging Americans, you’re not imagining things: Big shifts in physical well-being do occur at certain points in the life span, new research shows. A team at Stanford University has found “massive” changes during a person’s mid-40s and early 60s in regards to the molecules and microorganisms that help maintain the body.
• A new implant could help prevent overdose deaths by automatically administering the OD-reversing drug naloxone, a new study shows. The implant, about the size of a stick of gum, is placed under the skin, where it monitors vital signs like heart rate and breathing, researchers say.
• A new implant could help prevent overdose deaths by automatically administering the OD-reversing drug naloxone, a new study shows.The implant, about the size of a stick of gum, is placed under the skin, where it monitors vital signs like heart rate and breathing, researchers say.
• Regular bedtimes won’t just help your child be alert for a busy school day; they might also help keep them from abusing drugs or alcohol as a teen, new research suggests.
• The World Health Organization on Wednesday made the rare move of declaring an ongoing African outbreak of mpox a global health emergency. A new clade (strain) of the virus, plus its troubling spread throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and nearby countries in central Africa, drove the declaration, said WHO director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
• Low-paid employees under crushing work stress have a nearly doubled risk of developing a dangerous heart rhythm disorder, a new study finds. White-collar workers with high-stress, low-reward jobs have a 97% increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation, which increases a person’s risk of stroke and heart failure, researchers report.

• Mother and baby brand Momcozy has joined a worldwide effort aimed at breaking down the barriers women face while breastfeeding. To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), Momcozy is embarking on the Feel Better, Feed Better Tour in collaboration with Pump Spotting, a community-driven breastfeeding platform that supports new mothers both at home and at work.
• US mental health platform Headspace has announced new content to support people struggling with infertility.The free mental health resources, released in partnership with Spring Fertility, aim to help people experiencing fertility issues or undergoing fertility treatment.
• Menstrual care brand Sunny has received FDA clearance for its reusable menstrual cup. Sunny’s innovation, a reusable period cup that comes with a tampon-style applicator, has become the only menstrual cup and applicator to receive FDA 510(k) clearance.
• TaraCares has been recognised as one of the top 16 UK/EU start-ups shaping the European digital health market by Wavestone’s 2024 Digital Health Radar. TaraCares is a UK-based health tech start-up levelling up the science for healthy ageing and building a healthier working world. 

• The Union health ministry has launched a groundbreaking initiative to develop evidence-based guidelines for the empirical use of antibiotics in the treatment of upper respiratory infections (URIs), acute undifferentiated fevers, and community-acquired pneumonia
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has decided not to change its ceiling price calculation for rheumatoid arthritis drug Artamin 250 mg capsule 10’s containing penicillamine 250 mg from Maharashtra-based VHB Life Sciences Ltd even though the company received a favourable order from the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) in its review application earlier.
• The national institutes and councils promoting Ayush systems of medicine research and other activities have utilised 97.6 percent of the funds allocated during the last five years, till 2023-24, according to the Ministry of Ayush.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

Casual Reads:

• Frequent Coffee Drinkers Could Put Their Hearts at Risk: Chugging coffee, swilling colas or pounding down energy drinks could cause heart damage over time, a new study warns. All of these drinks contain caffeine, and a new study finds that folks who drink more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day appear more likely to develop heart disease.
• Why Red Meat May Be Especially Linked to Diabetes Risk: Red meat contains a type of iron that could increase a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study warns.

See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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