femtech:brief #01: Mental Health
👋🏽 👋 Hello and welcome to our very first edition of femtech:brief!
Femtech is a hot topic, yet it's often poorly understood and associated with only reproductive health. Femtech, however, has expanded into other niches such as fitness and mental health, with numerous startups offering a variety of solutions.
On October 10th, we celebrated World Mental Health Day 2021, a day in which we pause and reflect on the importance of being aware, of being present, of taking care of ourselves as a whole: physically, emotionally, and mentally.
In light of World Mental Health Day, this week’s edition of femtech:brief is all about mental health. We will take a look at several great initiatives that are making the tech world not only more inclusive but also a better place for women of all backgrounds and diverse personal situations.
Science behind
The team at aspivix, a medical device start-up from Switzerland, tells us about Contraceptives and Mental Health
“While hormonal contraceptives are effective in preventing pregnancies and also treating some health conditions, its adverse side effects should not be ignored.”
Know a startup
This week, we identify Alpha as the startup of the week. Alpha provides access to simple, everyday medical needs in a convenient, affordable, and discreet online process, thereby enabling women to take control of their medical needs. Their services include primary and urgent care, mental and behavioral health, women’s health, dermatology, and nutrition and weight loss.
Investments in Femtech
The growth in femtech investments is higher than ever before with funding double than that in 2020 despite only 2.3 percent of venture capital funding going to women-led startups globally according to Crunchbase.
And VC funding for mental health startups hit a record high especially in the pandemic with $1.5 billion going into mental health-related startups.
Companies to watch out
Either founded, led by, or focused on women, these are some amazing companies that provide a range of services that can help us find answers to several mental health-related topics.
candlelit: their mission is to destigmatize and demystify mental healthcare for Black families and families who fall within the African diaspora.
StartWithin: their goal is to create safe spaces for honest, healing conversations. They are aligned with efforts to decolonize healing, mental health, and wellness.
resurgo.co: dedicated to supporting self-employed women to succeed in business and in life.
nourish: mindful meditations, simple breathing exercises, psychological insights, and much more, all-tailor made to mums.
Bonus read because we love dogs 🐶
Therapy Dogs Help Students Cope With the Stress of College Life
As the demand for mental health counseling on campuses continues to soar, colleges are using therapy animals as a way to improve student mental health.
💡Fun Fact
The term “FemTech” was coined by Ida Tin, founder of the Berlin-based period tracking app, Clue to create awareness about the companies dedicated to women's health and increase conversations around it.
Community Discussion
Let's discuss mental health.
How do remote study/work, juggling parenting, and work, or multiple jobs affect your mental health? What can we do to help each other? Tell us in the comments!
Hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of femtech:brief. See you next Thursday!
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- Claudia & Reshma