Inside the Platform Fueling a Women’s Health Revolution

Femtech Canada: A Rising Force for Women’s Health Innovation

Founded by entrepreneur Rachel Bartholomew, Femtech Canada emerged from her struggles to secure investment for her startup, Hyivy Health, which offers a pelvic rehabilitation vaginal dilator designed to assist women with pelvic health issues. Bartholomew frequently encountered skepticism from potential investors who dismissed her niche market, prompting her to explore the unmet needs within women’s health more broadly. The lack of understanding about the market's significance resonated deeply, as she noted that the realities of women’s health will eventually touch all individuals in a familial context.

This journey led to the creation of Femtech Canada, a network that aims to unite founders facing similar challenges in the women's health sector. Recognizing longstanding systemic biases within healthcare, where women have often been considered "smaller men," Andrea Guest, Senior Manager both at Femtech Canada and Innovation Factory, emphasized the necessity for a more inclusive healthcare framework. In 2022, Bartholomew collaborated with Innovation Factory to better operationalize Femtech Canada—transitioning from a volunteer-led initiative to a national platform driving innovation in women's health.

Now boasting over 200 participating founders, Femtech Canada operates on three critical pillars: ecosystem development, education and advocacy, and programming. Their flagship initiative, the wHealth MedPath grant program, provides up to $20,000 in commercialization support for emerging startups. This support helps propel innovation in a sector that has historically been overlooked.

Femtech Canada’s advocacy reaches beyond immediate operational support; it successfully presented recommendations to the Canadian federal budget three times. Bartholomew emphasizes the importance of viewing women’s health as an economic issue rather than merely a social one, noting that investments in women's health yield significant returns. A 2024 McKinsey report supports this view, indicating that every dollar invested in women could bring back threefold.

Moreover, the current landscape in the U.S. reflects challenges that could favor Canada as a leader in women’s health innovation. Guest pointed out that many experts in the U.S. are losing jobs and funding, which presents an opportunity for Canada to attract this talent. Canadian startups, including Toronto-based July Health and Juniper Genomics, have benefitted from collaboration within the Femtech Canada network, sharing resources and insights that facilitate faster growth.

In July, Bartholomew took Femtech Canada’s message directly to governmental leaders, addressing the 43rd Annual Meeting of ministers responsible for the status of women. She highlighted the connection between enhanced women’s health services and women's professional success—a narrative that underscores the broader societal implications of investing in women's health.

As Femtech Canada continues to advocate for change, it remains committed to shining a spotlight on the inequities within women’s healthcare. The organization’s growth signifies a collective effort to address these disparities, reminding constituents that women’s health is integral to the innovation ecosystem.

In conclusion, Femtech Canada represents a critical movement in reshaping the narrative around women’s health, connecting like-minded entrepreneurs, and advocating for necessary changes within both healthcare and government. Through collaboration and targeted support, this initiative positions women’s health at the forefront of Canada’s innovation economy.