Overview
- Femtech refers to digital products aimed at supporting women’s health, including apps for menstrual tracking and pregnancy care.
- The femtech market is rapidly growing, projected to reach $98 billion by 2040, fueled by digital adoption and unmet health needs.
- Investors are drawn to femtech due to its demographic power, relevance to neglected health areas, and the potential for digital subscriptions.
- Digital marketers can leverage femtech’s engaged communities and educational content to create effective campaigns.
- Femtech represents a unique opportunity at the intersection of healthcare innovation and consumer technology, focusing on women’s health needs.
Femtech, which is the short form for female technology, refers to digital products, software, devices, and services designed to support women’s health. In fact, some of you may already be using femtech without being aware of this term. Examples include menstrual tracking apps, fertility solutions, pregnancy care platforms, menopause support tools, and even certain wearable diagnostics. All of these were built with women’s biological needs in mind. While women make up roughly half the global population, healthcare products and technologies tailored specifically to women’s health have historically been underfunded and underdeveloped. Femtech is changing that.
Once a niche concept, femtech has become a booming category with major financial backing, rapid consumer adoption, and powerful momentum. In this article, we’ll explore what’s driving that growth, why femtech is an exciting investment opportunity, and why it’s a huge opportunity for digital marketers.
Why Femtech Gaining Momentum
Femtech isn’t just a buzzword anymore. Over the years, it’s grown to become an ecosystem of technologies that address women’s health across life stages. Solutions range from mobile apps that track menstrual cycles to wearables that support reproductive health to virtual clinics that provide telehealth services.
Four Key Drivers Behind Femtech’s Growth
Market Expansion
The global femtech market is rapidly expanding. Industry research estimated that in 2024, the estimated market size was approximately $40 billion USD, and is projected to reach upwards of $98 billion USD by 2040.
Digital Adoption
Women increasingly use digital health tools, such as fertility and period tracking apps, fueling both downloads and engagement. All of this is related to the fact that, post-pandemic, we’ve all become more conscious of our health than ever before. Wellness has become a critical part of our daily lives, and femtech offers many users the opportunity to support their health. Some tools, like menstrual tracking apps or mental health journalling apps, provide women with a more self-directed healthcare experience.
Unmet Needs
Women’s health historically received less attention and funding, meaning consumer demand for targeted, high-quality products was underserved. Here’s a not-so-fun fact: one study found that only 5% of global research and development was allocated to women’s health research, with 4% dedicated to women’s cancers and the remaining 1% to “women-specific health conditions.”
Diverse Solutions
Part of the reason why femtech has become so popular is that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. This market spans so many different healthcare topics, such as menstrual health, fertility and reproductive care, pregnancy and postpartum support, menopause management, mental health integrations, and beyond.
These are just some of the factors creating a perfect storm for femtech growth, one that investors and users are both responding to.
Funding Momentum and Interest in the Femtech Space
Even if you weren’t familiar with the term “femtech” before reading this article, chances are you’ve heard of some of the top companies and startups making headlines. Here are just some examples:
- Flo Health: This menstrual and reproductive health app has surpassed 380 million downloads and 70 million monthly active users, and became Europe’s first femtech unicorn following a $200M investment.
- Maven Clinic: A virtual women’s health clinic that has raised over $300M and supports women through fertility, pregnancy, menopause, and more.
Hundreds of femtech startups are emerging worldwide, with substantial growth in funding year over year, especially across reproductive health, menstrual care, and direct-to-consumer products. Why do investors find this industry attractive?
- Demographic Power: Women control an estimated $15 trillion in annual consumer spending.
- Women are the Decision Makers: Studies show that women drive 80% of healthcare decisions for their households.
- Healthcare Relevance: Femtech solutions address areas historically neglected by mainstream healthcare, such as menopause, pregnancy care outside the clinical setting, and menstrual health. This focus helps drive demand.
- Digital Subscription Potential: Apps and platforms with premium features (e.g. fertility insights, personalized health plans) can be monetized through subscriptions and recurring revenue.
Why Femtech Is a Big Opportunity for Digital Marketers
For digital marketers, femtech presents an opportunity for strategic, high-impact campaigns, and there are several reasons why:
1. Rich Storytelling Potential
Femtech brands address deeply personal and real human needs, from fertility journeys to pregnancy support to menopause management. These authentic and relatable narratives lend themselves to compelling social media storytelling and content campaigns.
2. Community-Driven Audiences
Whether on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook groups, or forums like Reddit, femtech audiences tend to be highly engaged. Women share experiences, advocate for change, and look to peer-generated content and reviews. This creates opportunities for user-generated content (UGC) and influencer collaborations. Interested in learning more? Check out our article, How Social Media Shapes Women’s Health Conversations.
3. Demand for Educational Content
Many femtech products inherently require education (e.g. how cycle tracking works, how to interpret fertility data, etc). Content that educates builds trust and positions brands as go-to authorities. Examples include informational carousels, blog posts, short-form explainer videos, and eye-catching infographics.
4. Challenges with Paid Ads Mean Innovation in Overall Strategy
Femtech ads often run into restrictions on platforms that automatically reject clinical/healthcare terms and messaging. Marketers must therefore be creative by using story-first content, partnerships with trusted voices (e.g. influencers and healthcare providers), and SEO-driven organic strategies, which can build a stronger brand presence over paid reliance. That’s not to say paid ad campaigns can’t be run, but it requires some historical knowledge of the social media marketing space and what’s allowed. This is why many healthcare and wellness brands partner with healthcare digital marketing agencies who provide a strong, strategic foundation for a marketing program.
5. Direct-to-Consumer Engagement
Femtech products are frequently sold directly to consumers online, where social proof, reviews, and community advocacy are major conversion drivers. This gives marketers many levers to pull, from organic and paid social media marketing to email journeys and retention campaigns.
Femtech: An Exciting Marketing Frontier
Femtech represents one of the most exciting intersections of healthcare innovation, consumer technology, and community engagement. It’s a movement that centers women’s health needs in a way that tech and the broader market haven’t before. Digital marketers who understand how to connect with these audiences authentically and strategically will be at the forefront of this revolution.
For femtech brands looking to stand out from the increasingly competitive space, consider leveraging the expertise of healthcare and wellness marketers who understand how to reach your audience with the right messaging and through the right channels.