Left without control, the limited approach of Europe in the investment of AI will come in the health of half of its population. As the risk capital floods disproportionately in the AI sector, the innovation of women’s health, the definition of essential infrastructure, is once again fighting for the remains.
In 2021, Femtech’s global investment reached its maximum point in € 1.89bn Before immersing itself in only 1.1 billion euros next year, in the midst of an apocalypse and technological financing capital that is directed towards AI. Several factors contributed to this decrease: broader market conditions, investor risk appetite and the maturation of the natural sector. But the increase in the financing of AI coincides with a drop in Femtech’s investment, highlights serious problems with the capital allocation.
In 2023, the European femtech captured a mere € 164mn of € 8.3 billion in Healthtech funds. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, the US femtech startups € 4.5bn Since 2019. Unless Europe takes action now, the AI boom could severely aggravate what is already a great health crisis, and delayed us in a sector that we once lead worldwide.
Today, 44% From the new European Femtech companies have not collected any financing, despite the projections of a 30 billion euros European Mercado de Femtech for 2032. The disconnection between the opportunity and the investment is amazing.
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This pattern is repeated in the ecosystem. They are overlooking talented founders with proven solutions for endometriosis, menopause, fertility and maternal health. These are companies that have a large market and offer high yields, however, they struggle to compete for attention with the new and brilliant startup of general use that meets investors.
The irony is that, although the new AI companies often attract the attention of investors when promising to predict future Health problems, founders of Femtech, who have often already diagnosed existing Crisis and work solutions built: fight for basic financing.
This is far from being an anti-Ai argument: many US femtech companies. We are building really useful applications for women’s health. However, the vision of the investor tunnel for general -use AI platforms leaves specialized health solutions for leftovers.
There is also a human cost. The fact that capital and talent are overlooking Femtech is not only a lost investment opportunity, but a case of women’s health failures. The average woman with endometriosis awaits seven years For a diagnosis. Up to 70% of women With polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos) they remain without diagnosing throughout the world. While these figures reflect a global crisis. The European solutions of Femtech are not only vital for women in Europe, but they can climb to address critical problems worldwide.
Far from solving these problems, the general use of built without specialization in medical care often exacerbates them. Research by UNESCO and UN womenAmong others, it shows that AI and LLM based on biased data continuously perpetuate the medical assumptions by male default. This can lead to erroneous diagnoses, delayed treatment and years of unnecessary suffering.
In 2024, founding teams only for women, who make up a significant proportion of the founders of Femtech – received Only 2% of Global VC financing, compared to 84% for only male financing equipment. The disparity left criticisms in women’s health infrastructure. Like someone with a totally feminine senior team that raised One of the largest femtech rounds in Europe This year, I know firsthand how brutal it is the current process of collection of funds.
Future femtech of Europe
Historically, Europe has been a leader in women’s health innovation, characterized by an important public investment, new pioneer companies and an important policy leadership in gender -sensitive medical care. The region is home to other Pioneers of Femtech such as Flo Health (United Kingdom), CLUE (Germany), Natural Cycles (Sweden) and Ava (Switzerland). But this advantage is decreasing.
The bubble of AI will continue its unpredictable trip. Femtech, on the other hand, defined as a category of products, services and software designed to address the health and needs of women, does not go anywhere. Europe’s failure to recognize this puts it at risk of being behind other regions that maintain diversified Healthtech investments.
To start solving the problem, we need a rethinking. Recognize that Femtech is not a niche: it serves 50% of the world population. Present any other market of 3.9 billion customers and see VCS Stampede. Launch women’s health to those same investors and see them verify their phones.
More materially, investors need to balance their AI investments with proven health solutions. It is not just about building socially responsible wallets, but there is a large market disregarded here waiting to be unlocked.
That means building funds dedicated to femtech and supporting more Directed by women Investment teams, which really understand the problems in question. Far from simply verifying the boxes, women led by women are significantly better to understand Femtech’s investment opportunities, as noted UNESCO – Offering familiarity with the problems and solutions of the sector that often lack their male counterparts. The evidence is clear: in Europe, countries with dedicated angels investor networks 27% Higher financing rates of the early stage for businesswomen.
Policy formulators must also reform R&D financing structures to ensure that women’s health receives proportional investment. When public financing flows disproportionately to AI’s research, he points out that women’s health remains a secondary concern.
Europe can be a leader in both AI and Femtech: these are far from being mutually exclusive. The objective is not to slow down the investment of AI, but to ensure that Femtech obtains its fair part of the capital allocation. If Femtech does not move from the niche to the need, the story shows us that it will remain on the road, since it has long been overlooked critically, without financing and not investigated.
Femtech is not another bubble that hopes to explode: the health needs of women do not disappear when the VC jump aboard the next Bombo train. The choice we now take if women will continue to be collateral damage in each new investment frenzy.
If Europe continues to ignore femtech, the price will not lose only return. They will be women who wait years for a simple diagnosis, live with unreasonable conditions and suffer problems that we already know how to prevent. Although women live longer than men, we spend 25% more of our lives in poor health. That is a cost that investors cannot continue to ignore.
#Boom #Europe #leaving #Femtech
