Innovating for Women's Health: Good Medicine Meets Good Business

MedtechWOMEN invites you to join us for the second episode of MedtechFORUM: Women's Health in 2024 and Beyond, moderated by Marga Ortigas-Wedekind, Chief Commercial Strategy Officer, Fogarty Innovation.

The increased attention on innovations in women's health, often encapsulated under the term "FemTech," has indeed generated significant buzz in recent years. However, it's essential to critically evaluate whether the level of invention and investment has truly aligned with the unmet needs in this space.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ First, let's redefine "Women's Health." While reproductive health and women's cancers have received significant attention, there's a vast landscape of health issues that affect women differently or disproportionately. Diseases like cardiovascular conditions, depression, and endometriosis often go underdiagnosed or undertreated. Additionally, medical issues such as osteoporosis impact women at various stages of their lives. To truly address women's health needs, innovation must extend beyond traditional focuses.

For investors in this space, raising high-quality funds using traditional venture models has been a challenge. Data is scarce, making it difficult to quantify returns, and with only 15% of women venture capitalists in decision-making roles,1 old biases still drive investment choices. The result is that FemTech represents only 2-4%2 of all health tech and biopharma investments.

Join our panel of women entrepreneurs and investors as we grapple with these challenges. We'll examine the headwinds and tailwinds affecting women's health today and explore what the medtech ecosystem must do better to support the issues faced by 50% of the world's population. Together, let's pave the way for innovation that truly meets the diverse and evolving needs of women worldwide.

Date:

• Wednesday, May 22

Time:

• 11:30am PT - In Person Arrival at Fogarty Innovation & Lunch
• 12:00-1:00pm PT - Virtual Event Begins

Location:

• Fogarty Innovation 2495 Hospital Drive, Suite 300 Mountain View, CA

Moderator:

• Marga Ortigas-Wedekind, Chief Commercial Strategy Officer, Fogarty Innovation

Panelists:

• Amelia (Amy) Degenkolb - CEO & Co-Founder, Novocuff
• Andrea Olariu - Chief Executive Officer, Medicines360
• Laura Yecies - CEO & Board Director, Bone Health Technologies
• Tracy Dooley, MD - Partner, Avestria Ventures

Cost:

$20 registration fee with 50% of the proceeds from this webinar going to the Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation.