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👷‍♀️ How to Build a Femtech Community

Framework for Establishing a Women's Health Network


Prepared by: Lindsay Davis


OVERVIEW


Femtech is the abbreviation for female technology, electronic devices, software, or other technology relating to women's health. McKinsey & Company describes the femtech industry as including solutions in maternal health, menstrual health, pelvic and sexual health, fertility, menopause, and contraception, as well as addressing general health conditions that affect women disproportionately or differently (such as osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease).


The global landscape of femtech has witnessed a surge in recent years in the number of businesses founded, growing media attention, and increased investment. Femtech startups and more established companies alike have been actively developing innovative solutions that cater to a range of diverse women's healthcare needs. In this guide, we will explore how can femtech communities can be built for creating impact in women’s health.


WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?


This guide is for individuals interested in launching a femtech industry community. These could be femtech enthusiasts, startup founders, professionals or ecosystem builders who are looking to create an impactful ecosystem for a country or region, community, company or school.

Despite women making up half of the population, less than 4% of biopharma research and development spending is allocated to women-specific conditions. Deloitte 

WHY DO FEMTECH COMMUNITIES MATTER?


Community is the connective tissue that binds together consumers, founders, thought leaders, investors and advocates in the femtech sector, driving both business outcomes and social impact.


Femtech entrepreneurs often navigate uncharted territory: underfunded categories, cultural taboos, complex regulatory paths, and healthcare systems with significant gender health gaps. A femtech industry community is of value as it creates a specialised ecosystem to:


1. Share Intelligence in an Emerging Category

Femtech is still evolving. Regulatory pathways, business models, investor engagement, insurance coverage, clinical validation, consumer awareness, and fragmented - or a lack of data - often need to be pieced together. Having a trusted network of peers accelerates learning and reduces costly trial and error.


2. Faster Access to Capital and Partners

Fundraising in femtech means educating investors and selling a vision, often to rooms filled predominantly with male investors. Founder networks offer warm introductions, pitch feedback and investor intel that cold outreach may not deliver. Similarly, partnerships are most effectively and efficiently established for co-marketing, programming, amplification and offering new sales channels when there is a united industry voice demonstrating demand for and availability of solutions.



3. A Safe Space for Founders

Building and operating a femtech company can feel isolating. From clinical setbacks to personal burnout, founders need spaces where they can share their unique entrepreneurial experience without needing to position, perform or pitch. Community offers an emotional safety net with others who are also committed to a common goal of advancing gender health equity through entrepreneurship.


4. Collaboration Over Competition

There is more white space than overlap in femtech, especially when looking at global markets. Collaboration can unlock bigger value than going it alone. Founder communities help align efforts, combine insights and even create new opportunities across product, research, and/or market entry.


5. A Collective Voice for Change

Femtech communities push for change and can reshape the system. Founder networks amplify shared advocacy for better funding, inclusive research, policy change and/or women’s health visibility on the local, regional and global stage.

A strong founder community creates an inclusive space, accelerates learning, expands opportunities, and reinforces the idea that there is a massive market opportunity currently underserved in women’s health. Femtech is the future.


Reference: Want to learn more about the future of women’s health? Read Ultra Violet Agency reports by Anna Butterworth, FemTech Futures: Trend Forecasts.

FemTech companies receive approximately 3% of all digital health funding, highlighting a significant investment gap. McKinsey & Company 

STEP 1: DEFINE YOUR "WHY"


WHY DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A FEMTECH COMMUNITY?


The amount of work that goes into leading and operating an engaging femtech community varies, but a commitment to advancing women’s health paired with consistent, thoughtful initiatives is imperative for building industry credibility and making an impact. A femtech community is a dynamic ecosystem that requires intention, collaboration, long-term vision and a healthy amount of grit.


Before building your femtech community, take time to clarify your motivation and what success would look like for you. As Simon Sinek of Simon Sinek's The Optimism Company asks, "What is your 'Why'? When you are thinking about why you want to build a femtech community, consider what you are hoping to achieve. It is tempting to try to be everything to everyone, but specificity in your community’s role in the femtech ecosystem leads to greater impact.

FIGURE 1: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE, THE OPTIMISM COMPANY
FIGURE 1: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE, THE OPTIMISM COMPANY

STEP 2: FOCUS YOUR VISION & MISSION


Similar to identifying your personal and/or professional motivations, before you start building your femtech community it is essential to identify why your community exists and where it is headed. Your vision and mission will guide everything from your strategy to content to initiatives, and help the ecosystem understand what they are rallying around.


Vision


This is your North Star. Where is your organisation are going and what larger impact do you hope to have? What change do you want to see in the femtech industry and/or for women’s health? What does success look like for your femtech community?


Create one sentence defining your vision.


Mission Statement


This is your community’s core purpose and approach - what you do, for whom, and how. What will your femtech community do every day to move closer to your vision?

Conduct market research to identify individuals and organisations focusing on women’s health and the femtech industry that may already exist to consider how your community will be different or complementary. While all contributions to the industry can be valuable, it is worth evaluating if starting another community, as opposed to joining and supporting an existing community, may be more impactful.


Reference: Femtech Across Borders: Femtech Across Borders list of 32+ global femtech communities.

TABLE 1: EXAMPLES - FEMTECH COMMUNITY VISION & MISSIONS
TABLE 1: EXAMPLES - FEMTECH COMMUNITY VISION & MISSIONS

STEP 3: IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE


Now that you have a clear organisation purpose, vision and mission, identify the key ecosystem stakeholders for whom you are building the community and what you will offer. For example:


  • Consumer Education

Help women, and those with women’s healthcare needs, to better understand their health, generate awareness for solutions in the market, and access evidence-based information.


  • Founder Support

Create a space for femtech founders to share experiences, resources and opportunities through peer-to-peer mentorship.


  • Women’s Health & Femtech Consultancy

Use the community to showcase your expertise, stay close to industry trends, and generate inbound interest for your services.


  • Become an Authority on the Femtech Industry

Position yourself as a thought leader by facilitating important conversations, curating insight and being at the centre of a growing industry network.


  • Shift Culture & Spark Systemic Change

Create a movement by using the community as a way to challenge societal norms, influence policy or champion new standards in women’s health. Engage the Ministry/Department of Health, government agencies, hospital groups, healthcare leaders among others to see where you can add insights to elevate women’s health on a country-wide, regional or global agenda.

The global FemTech market was valued at $52 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $103 billion by 2030, with an estimated 8.1% CAGR. Forbes
FIGURE 2: FEMTECH ASSOCIATION ASIA AUDIENCE PROFILES
FIGURE 2: FEMTECH ASSOCIATION ASIA AUDIENCE PROFILES

Interview a sample of your target audience/client to identify their challenges, priorities and how they currently engage with the femtech industry. Aim to build what will resonate with your core market.


When FemTech Association Asia launched in October 2021, there was not yet a voice for the industry in Asia. Results from stakeholder interviews highlighted the need for founder connectivity and amplification of the regional industry & startups as priorities. Therefore, the community developed four key pillars (that sit alongside our paid advisory services):


  • Thought Leadership: Conduct market and consumer research to provide strategic insight and authoritative perspectives to shape the industry’s direction in Asia and establish femtech as a critical sector for health innovation.

  • Programming: Design and deliver structured initiatives, events, pitch demo days, femtech innovation showcases, content and conferences that explore key challenges and opportunities across the femtech value chain.

  • Amplification: Enhance visibility for Asia’s femtech industry - startups, founders and innovations - by working with media partners.

  • Community-Building: Cultivate a trusted, professional network that enables cross-market collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategic partnerships.


Consider your specific audience needs to develop pillars that suit your organisation objectives.


STEP 4: BUILD THE FOUNDATION


SELECT YOUR COMMUNITY MODEL


There are several models to consider when establishing your femtech community:

  • Online Community: e.g. WhatsApp, Slack, Facebook Groups

  • Content-led Community: newsletters, podcasts, blogs

  • Event-based Community: webinars or in-person gatherings

  • Hybrid Community: a mix of the above with multiple touchpoints


Choose a model that suits your audience’s preferences and your own resource capacity. This will also help you understand the annual funding requirements for your organisation.


DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL


How you fund your organisation initiatives will be funded based on the sustainability of your business model.


NON-PROFIT


Potential sources of sponsorship:

  • Government

  • Corporate

  • Foundations / Charities


Reference: As an example of a non-profit femtech community, Femtech France supports the country’s femtech entrepreneurs, creates synergies between the different members of the ecosystem, and takes part in the debates and strategic reflections around women's health in the market. Co-Founder Delphine Moulu shares the business model starting with startup memberships at a low price to support early stage startups. Secondly, Femtech France has built partnerships, mainly with pharma companies, with €5K EUR per annum as an average amount per sponsor. Then through one-off funding contributions such as the village at Viva Technology Conference, running an annual bootcamp, and the generous patronage of a global foundation, this community is able to continue its critical work.


FOR PROFIT


Potential revenue streams:

  • Membership model - Flat rate, Tiered (e.g. Founder, Corporate)

  • Corporate partnerships - Per event, Annual sponsorship

  • Event Management - Per event, Corporate events, Conferences

  • Event Tickets - Sell tickets (Platform: Eventbrite, direct-on-website)

  • Advertising revenue via marketing platforms (e.g. LinkedIn post)

  • Speaker/Moderator fees

  • Research Papers (E.g. $99 USD per FemHealth Insight report)

  • Accelerator (E.g. Tech4Eva)


Reference: FemTech Weekend Flagship Accelerator Program is a Startup Weekend-style hackathon and innovation competition judged by local industry leaders, investors, and women’s health pioneers. The team partners with local Women in Tech and HealthTech communities, HealthTech incubators, and Venture Studios. While based in China, FemTech Weekend is building cross-border hackathons where global participants can take part (e.g. showcased innovations at UN Women CSW69).

TABLE 2: EXAMPLES - FEMTECH COMMUNITY PRICING MODELS
TABLE 2: EXAMPLES - FEMTECH COMMUNITY PRICING MODELS

While sponsorship and funding are key, it is also recommended to find a venue partner for complimentary event space where you can host regular events with minimal budget requirements. Co-working spaces, corporate partner offices and government business hubs are all great options.


STEP 5: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT


Engagement is your priority as without this, the community will fall flat.


To build consistency into your community management, action the following:

  • Set clear norms and onboarding processes

  • Facilitate introductions and peer connections

  • Host regular events or discussions

  • Celebrate milestones and spotlight members


Use tools like polls, Ask Me Anythings (AMAs), feedback loops, and member spotlights to keep the energy going. For example, FemTech Association Asia supports member engagement via a private, members-only WhatsApp Group, though Telegram, WeChat or other instant messaging platforms work as well.


As the Founder of your femtech community, you should create chat group guidelines to ensure appropriate content. Template below:


  • Purpose: To provide a private forum for members to share femtech and women’s health industry information and connect with peers.

  • Respect: Be respectful to one another, avoid using derogatory language and refrain from posting offensive or inappropriate content.

  • Privacy: Protect each other's privacy and avoid sharing sensitive personal information.

  • Frequency: Evaluate relevance & impact before posting and limit the frequency of messages to avoid spamming.

  • Stay on-topic: Avoid discussing topics that are not relevant to the group's purpose.

  • Avoid arguments: Engage in constructive conversations, but avoid engaging in heated arguments or personal attacks.

  • Posting: Ad posts (events, market research, etc) must be pre-approved & may include an ad fee.

  • Contacts: DMing without recipient consent and posting other chat links are not permitted.

  • This community should NOT be used as a sales or promotional channel. Please do not promote your own business or unrelated topics without moderator approval.

  • Moderator is <Your Name>. Should you have any feedback or questions, please contact her. Repeated violation of the above guidelines may result in removal from the group.


Reference: To explore how femtech communities leverage digital collaboration platforms, sign up to the free FemHealth Insights Women's Health Innovation Slack Community. Connect with a global network, opening doors to funding, collaboration, and job opportunities. Stay informed with the latest news, seek advice in a supportive environment, and receive real-time feedback on your projects.


Women’s Health and Innovation Expert Anastasiya Markvarde shares other examples of stakeholders a community leader may wish to engage to make the organisation even more impactful:


  • VCs & Angel Investors: Not necessarily focused exclusively on women’s health, but in general life sciences or digital health, which can gradually become more interested in femtech.

  • Academic Institutions: As they can encourage more research and spin-offs dedicated to femtech and in this way contribute to quality deal flow.

  • Government Agencies: Related to business and innovation support, government bodies are needed to include women's health among country priorities.

  • Pharma, Insurers & Biotechs: Providing their knowledge and network support to extend the reach of femtech community initiatives.

  • Patient Associations: Focusing on conditions that affect women disproportionately or differently, as they will be interested in innovative solutions.


INDUSTRY RESOURCES


TOP INDUSTRY VOICES

  • Ida Tin is an entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of Clue, the pioneering menstrual health app, and is credited with coining the term "femtech”.

  • Dr. Neel Shah, MD, MPP, FACOG, is Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic, Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and advocate for maternal health.

  • Dr. Brittany Barreto is a geneticist, entrepreneur, Founder of FemHealth Insights and Host of FemTech Focus podcast.

  • Marija Butokovic is Founder & CEO of Women of Wearables, a global organisation in women's health, digital health and biotech.

  • WHAM is working to increase awareness of and accelerate funding for women’s health research.

  • For more inspiring leaders, visit Women of Wearables 200 Trailblazing Leaders in Women’s Health List.


INDUSTRY MEDIA

REPORTS

Thank you: Sabrina Scarpati, Founder of Femtech Italy, for creating this list!


MARKET MAPS


COMMUNITY GROUPS


PODCASTS

  • FemTech At Work, hosted by Maaike Steinebach, highlights femtech founders and corporate champions for women's health in the workplace.

  • Femtech Focus features Dr. Brittany Barreto’s interviews with leading experts on innovation and investing in female health.

  • FemTech Real Money Talks is hosted by Elena Lipilina discussing the financial journeys of femtech startups.

  • The Business of the V by healthcare experts Dr. Alyssa Dweck & Rachel Braun-Scherl interviews professionals focusing on women’s health.

  • Mother where Karina Vazirova dives into science and new technology pushing the boundaries of the female experience. Recommended by Christine Gross of Tech4Fem Italy.

  • The Femtech India Podcast in which Femtech India Founder Navneet Kaur dives into science and new technology pushing the boundaries of the female health in India.


BOOKS

  • Invisible Women, Caroline Criado-Perez

  • Unlocking Women's Health: FemTech and the Quest for Gender Equity, Dr. Brittany Barreto

  • Unwell Women, Elinor Cleghorn

  • The Vagina Business, Marina Gerner


FEMTECH COMMUNITY LAUNCH READINESS CHECKLIST


1) FOUNDATIONAL PLANNING

  • Decide to launch a femtech community!

  • Research the femtech industry thoroughly — read reports, listen to podcasts, attend events.

  • Conduct a landscape scan to identify gaps and avoid duplication.

  • Define the focus area of your community (e.g. geography, your school).

  • Choose a name that reflects your community's identity and purpose.


2) VISION, MISSION & STRATEGY

  • Define your Vision — what future are you building?

  • Craft a clear Mission Statement — what role will your community play?

  • Set short- and long-term goals and success metrics (e.g., number of members, event attendance, sponsorship funding).

  • Identify your target audience (e.g., founders, clinicians, consumers).

  • Determine your business model (non-profit, paid membership, sponsored, hybrid).


3) LEGAL & OPERATIONAL SET-UP

  • Consider forming a founding team and advisory board.

  • Register your organisation (if applicable).

  • Set up essential tools and digital platforms.

  • Develop community guidelines and a code of conduct.


4) DIGITAL PRESENCE

  • Launch your social media channels.

  • Design and launch your website.

  • Select your community platform (e.g., Slack, WhatsApp).

  • Develop member onboarding process (welcome email, intro call, etc.).


5) CONTENT & ENGAGEMENT

  • Create a content strategy (e.g. Femtech India’s FemTech Friday Newsletter or blog.).

  • Plan a launch plan — include a virtual or in-person event, announcement posts, and media outreach.

  • Schedule recurring touchpoints with the community (e.g. newsletter, meetups, etc.).

  • Set up regular feedback loops (surveys, polls, 1:1 chats) to improve continuously.


6) PARTNERSHIPS & VISIBILITY

  • Join Femtech Across Borders to connect with other community leaders.

  • Build relationships with ecosystem partners: startups, accelerators, corporates, investors, NGOs.

  • Contact potential sponsors aligned with your mission.

  • Pitch your community to media and podcasts for visibility.


7) SUSTAINABILITY & GROWTH

  • Draft a financial plan (budget, funding sources, revenue streams).

  • Monitor key metrics.

  • Regularly assess progress and refine your strategy.

Women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health. 95% of women’s health burden stems from conditions that affect both women and men. The women’s health gap equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death per year. Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health

FINAL THOUGHTS


REAL CHANGE IS MADE BY THOSE BOLD ENOUGH TO BEGIN.


Experience in women’s health is valuable, but it is not a prerequisite to leading a femtech community. In fact, over half of the world’s femtech communities were founded in the past two years, and nearly 90% have emerged within five years. The industry is being shaped right now by committed individuals who recognise the gender health gap and chose to do something about it.


You do not need all the answers to begin. What you do need is clarity of purpose, a commitment to advancing women’s health, and the courage to take the first step. Define your "why," build a strong operational foundation, and trust your vision to grow alongside your leadership.


If you are considering launching a femtech community, FemTech Association Asia and Femtech Across Borders are ready to support you. We wish you the greatest success!

About FemTech Association Asia:

Founded in October 2021, FemTech Association Asia is the region’s first and largest specialist advisory and industry network for founders, professionals, investors and enthusiasts focused on improving women’s health through technology solutions. This award-nominated organisation currently represents over 80 FemTech companies across ten countries in Asia.


About FemTech Across Borders

Collective of global femtech intiatives dedicated to promoting innovation, literacy and community in women’s health, fostering a powerful network to transform the landscape of women’s healthcare worldwide.

 
 
 

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