10 women’s health innovations selected for Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate

Following a competitive application process, 10 innovations have been selected for Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate. The new Accelerator, which was announced in September as part of the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst competition, is specifically designed for women’s health solutions with a technology readiness level (TRL) 4 or above to support them to enter their chosen market. It is delivered by the Health Innovation Network South London (HIN), DigitalHealth.London and partners from across the UK.

Women spend around 25% more of their lives in ill health compared to men. Despite this, only 1% of global healthcare research and innovation is dedicated to women-specific conditions. Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate is designed to help UK-based businesses to connect with the right people for evidence generation and plan a pathway for evaluation, marking an important step towards driving the spread and adoption of evidence-backed women’s health innovations.

The 10 innovations selected for Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate demonstrate a high potential for addressing real-world women’s healthcare challenges, spanning a diverse range of pathways and systems. These novel technologies and personal products include a heated bra designed for hormonal breast tenderness; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for menopause support; biosensors to help detect respiratory diseases; compassionate support for women experiencing pregnancy loss; and a pioneering AI-powered thermal imaging tool for breast health screening.

Lived experience directly informs many of the solutions, such as a microbiome serum born from a founder’s experience of recurrent urinary tract infections; and a training platform for maternity staff, which brings to life the experiences of local women through VR.

The cohort also sees solutions that support the move to healthcare in the community, including a digital preventive maternal health platform; a therapeutic platform to improve quality of life for people living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS); and an agency-building app for people living with chronic pelvic pain.

Over three months, these innovations will be helped through a hybrid curriculum, including virtual training and face-to-face support from a business coach, who will help with identifying strategic collaborations and real-world evaluation routes, such as health economic analyses. Companies will also benefit from two residentials (onboarding and mid-programme), a series of webinars lead by subject matter experts, one-to-one sessions with mentors across the health and care system, and an end of programme showcase, as well as the opportunity to apply for the special closed call feasibility funding through the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst.

Now more than ever, it is crucial that innovations are routed in evaluative principles and provide real value for patients, as well as the wider healthcare system. This is particularly important in women’s health, which faces additional historic barriers, such as the gender data gap.