The Femtech market in France: innovating to improve women’s health
Published July 16, 2024
- Customer Experience
- Industry 4.0 & IoT
- Life Sciences
A new edition of the Femtech barometer
For the second year running, Wavestone and Femtech France have produced a barometer on the women’s health market in France, based on a survey of 70 French Femtech startups. This year, the barometer includes a new chapter highlighting existing opportunities in the sports sector for Femtech startups.
What is a Femtech?
The term Femtech, a combination of “female” and “technology”, refers to all innovations aimed at improving women’s health: connected objects, mobile applications, healthcare software, educational platforms and more. Their uses respond to concrete problems and address a variety of pathologies. Europe is just behind the USA in the development of this industry, and European Femtech startups are mainly concentrated in the UK, France and Germany.
The French market in 2024
In April 2024, the Femtech France association listed 140 French Femtech startups, 70 of which responded to a survey. This data, while not representing the entire market, offers valuable insight into the current state and trends of the sector.
The breakdown is as follows: 57% of startups are in the wellness sector, and 43% in the health sector, i.e. where the product/service is part of a care pathway.
In terms of products and services, the most frequent are:
- Healthcare: healthcare software (SaaS), diagnostic tests and medical devices
- Well-being: consumer goods, food supplements and mobile applications
France is the main market for 87% of startups surveyed. The main regions targeted by the startups surveyed are Europe, North America and Africa, and the main country is France, followed by Belgium and Switzerland.
Among the market trends observed by Femtech France, we note that women’s health in the workplace remains a strong theme. Additionally, insurers are looking for more comprehensive healthcare offerings, and there is a need to innovate in under-addressed pathologies such as hormonal and mental health.
Challenges facing the Femtech market in France
Challenges mainly concern the affordability of products developed by Femtech startups, their carbon footprint and financing. Juliette Mauro, President of Femtech France, adds: “The presence of series A and series B companies on the Femtech market in France and Europe (excluding the UK) should motivate financing players to create specialized Femtech funds to support the development and growth of these structures.”
In this Olympic year, we are highlighting women’s sports, the challenges they face and the innovative solutions offered by Femtech startups. Our barometer underlines the importance of adapting sport to the different stages of women’s lives.
In addition, two top athletes, MMA world champion Djihène Abdellilah and 100m Olympic athlete Ayodele Ikuesan, share their views on the challenges of making sports professionals more aware of women’s physiological specificities.
Please find here the 2023 edition.