Last week one of my favourite businesses, Elvie, announced it had raised more than £32 million in its latest round of fundraising — women’s health is big business.
In fact, “FemTech” has attracted more than £184 million in venture capital funding so far this year and the figure is rising fast.
Elvie breast pump
After several years of development Elvie has released one of the best breast pumps on the market and new mothers are raving about it. The pump is silent, it doesn’t have any cords or bottles attached and can fit inside your bra.
From £249.99 | John Lewis | Buy it now
Fitbit Versa
The Versa is one of FitBit’s smartest new watches. Besides heart-rate monitoring it features on-screen workouts, an in-built payment chip, and female tracking tech for logging your cycle, recording symptoms and weighing these symptoms against other stats including sleep. Knowledge is power.
£149 | Currys | Buy it now
Clue
Berlin-based Clue is a period-tracking app with a cult following. It boasts more than five million users and has raised $20 million from the handset provider Nokia’s investment vehicle.
Free, iOS and Android | Hello Clue | Download now
Ava Women
The Ava bracelet is a fertility tracker that uses data from your cycle and temperature to give a picture of your fertility levels that’s estimated to be up to 89 per cent accurate. The product’s results have been tested in a year-long study at a hospital in Zurich.
£149 | Ava Women | Buy it now
Ferly
Ferly is an app that offers a completely new type of online sex education: micro-podcasts and bite-sized articles to help women own their sexuality. It labels itself as “your guide to mindful sex”. The start-up is based in Hackney and is the the sort of thing I wish existed 10 years ago. It will be life-changing for many women.
Free | Ferly | Download now
Bellabeat Leaf Urban Health Tracker
Think of this pendant as a Fitbit but tailored to a female market. It’s discreet: it clips onto your bra or can be worn as a necklace (personally, I’m fussy with jewellery so prefer the bra option). It tracks your activities and your cycle, has meditation exercises, and monitors your sleep.
£126.86 | Amazon | Buy it now
Thinx
Thinx is a pioneering New York-based manufacturer of period-proof underwear — and was one of the first operators in the FemTech space. There’s a wide range of shapes and styles for different flows, and they are a far more sustainable option than existing single-use products.
From £18 | She Thinx | Buy it now
Grace is the founder and CEO of Soda, sodasays.co.uk @gracergould
