FemTechs are gaining momentum in Switzerland

Press release of November, 30, 2023

FemTechs are gaining momentum in Switzerland

The FemTech sector is growing worldwide. According to a study by the strategy consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the number of FemTech providers has doubled since 2015, rising from 600 in 2015 to 1,300 companies in 2022. In Switzerland too, women's specific health has arrived on the market. Companies are supported by the FemTech start-up accelerator Tech4Eva, which is concluding its third edition this week.

For a long time, women's health was neglected in research and medical technology. Today, however, innovative technical solutions for women's health, known as FemTech, have arrived on the market, and are growing steadily. Worldwide, the women's health market is already estimated at USD 25 billion, and analysts expect this figure to double in the next five years.

In Switzerland, FemTechs have established themselves through the first FemTech accelerator Tech4Eva, which was co-founded by EPFL Lausanne and Groupe Mutuel. Investment in the sector is growing rapidly, as shown by a study by the strategy consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). “Worldwide, venture capital investments in FemTechs have tripled over the past five years. In Switzerland too, more and more investors are recognising the market's potential, which is far from exhausted. Local companies are focusing primarily on issues relating to pregnancy and fertility,” explained Dr Heike Dorninger, BCG Partner and expert for the healthcare sector.

"FemTech not only has economic potential, but it is our explicit aim is to contribute to improving women's health and to closely support our customers in health and prevention,” added Jérôme Mariethoz, Director of Health and Prevention - Private Clients at Groupe Mutuel.

Women's bodies are different to men's bodies

Women struggle with specific health challenges based on their gender. “Women are not just "smaller men with pesky hormones" but are fundamentally different in many ways: hormones change body composition, brain structures and bones and offer women natural protection against vascular diseases and brain decline during the reproductive years. We are often afraid to talk about these differences,” explained Lisa Falco, Lead AI & Data Consultant at Zühlke and author of the book "Go Figure".

Lisa Falco has analysed the biological processes involved in the most important phases of a woman's life and will present this process at the closing ceremony of the third edition of Tech4Eva on 30 November at the EPFL in Lausanne. “There are still major gaps in women’s health research that we need to address if we are to offer equivalent care to all women.”

Furthermore, 20 start-ups that took part in the third edition of Tech4Eva will be presenting their projects in Lausanne, four of which are from Switzerland. During the nine-month accelerator programme, the companies interacted with mentors and experts to refine their business models and marketing strategies, meet potential investors and customers, and network with leading FemTech hubs around the world.