Entrepreneur
Business roundup: discover the new digital hub for parents and more
FT World explores the latest business developments in the world of women’s health.
Digital hub to support modern parents
Baby Dove has launched Nested, a new digital hub created in partnership with Peanut, the leading community app for mothers.
Informed by the rising “nesting” trend, where expecting mothers prepare a safe, comforting space before baby, Nested is an innovative initiative that brings expert care from Dove to new parents.
With Nested, Baby is redefining what support for new parents looks like today. A recent Baby Dove-commissioned survey revealed that 69 per cent of Gen-Z and Millennial first-time moms don’t feel prepared for motherhood.
The Nested hub offers a space for parents and family to connect; a dermatologist-tested and pediatrician-recommended lineup of Baby Dove essentials; a curated collection of resources such as a Doula Directory and research-backed articles; and a community chat forum for real talk among like-minded peers, providing parents with a virtual village of people they can relate to.
Tech-enabled, doula-led maternal health services launched
Maternity care solution provider Pacify has entered a collaboration with First Choice by Select Health of South Carolina, to deliver tech-enabled, doula-led wraparound maternal health services.
As part of the collaboration, pregnant members will receive care that addresses barriers to a healthy pregnancy and start to their baby’s life.
The services combine virtual and in-person pre- and post-delivery doula services with 24/7 lactation support designed to improve health outcomes. It is a comprehensive care model that offers professional guidance along the pregnancy journey to address challenges that expectant and new mothers face.
“By collaborating with Pacify, First Choice by Select Health will advance its commitment towards addressing disparities in maternal care by providing equitable access to culturally responsive support services,” said Select Health Market Chief Medical Officer Diego Martinez.
“We are able to offer our members access to evidence-based services that complement our existing programs, including Bright Start and Keys to Your Care, to help ensure healthier outcomes for mothers and infants across South Carolina.”
Universal Quantum to advance endometriosis drug discovery with quantum computing
Universal Quantum has announced that it has joined the Open Quantum Institute (OQI) to apply quantum computing to advance endometriosis drug discovery with quantum computing.
Universal Quantum will work with OQI collaborators to explore high-impact applications of quantum computing across healthcare, drug design, and climate science.
Its first proposed use case focuses on endometriosis, a debilitating condition affecting 10 per cent of women globally.
The project aims to investigate how quantum simulations can accelerate the discovery of non-hormonal, shelf-stable therapeutics, particularly for underserved populations in rural or economically developing regions.
Launched by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) in collaboration with the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), CERN, and other international bodies, the OQI serves as a neutral platform to explore and support quantum use cases with global public benefit.
“This is a complex challenge that won’t be solved by quantum computing alone,” said Dr Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum.
“We’re grateful to OQI and our collaborators for contributing essential domain knowledge. As we build the infrastructure for powerful quantum machines, we believe it’s equally important to work together to apply those systems in ways that advance science, society and shared prosperity.”
Nikon releases motorised inverted microscope for reproductive medicine
Nikon has announced the launch of the ECLIPSE Ti2-I Motorised Inverted Microscope for ICSI1/IMSI2, specifically designed for use in micro-insemination (IVF).
This new microscope system is designed to improve efficiency and speed by reducing the steps required for operation in IVF procedures by approximately 75 per cent.
In the United States, the workload of embryology and infertility treatment regimens continues to rise in response to falling fertility and birth rates. While the workload of embryologists has increased with the rise in the number of infertility treatments, improved accuracy in their work remains a critical factor. The new ECLIPSE Ti2-I microscope is specifically designed to aid in the efficiency as this work becomes ever more vital.
The microscope enables up to 75 per cent reduction of the steps required for microscope operation for improved efficiency of the micro-insemination workflow; user-friendly design to help reduce errors; and bright and clear observation with Nikon’s unique optical technology.
FDA grants priority review for Addyi
Sprout Pharmaceuticals’ Addyi (flibanserin 100mg) has been granted Priority Review by the FDA – making it the first and only FDA-approved pill for low sexual desire in women to also include women who have gone through menopause.
Addyi originally received FDA approval for premenopausal women. After reviewing its robust safety and efficacy profile, Health Canada also approved Addyi with expanded use in women that have gone through menopause. Now the FDA has the data to potentially do the same.
If approved, the updated Addyi label will mark a major shift toward inclusive, life-stage-spanning innovation in sexual health, recognising that women deserve options no matter their age.
Review period for menopause hot flash treatment extended
The FDA has extended the review period for the New Drug Application (NDA) for Bayer’s elinzanetant.
The treatment is the first neurokinin 1 and neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist in late-stage clinical development for the hormone-free treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) due to menopause.
The FDA has determined additional time is needed for a full review of the NDA submission, including information provided to support the application. The extension to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) review period is up to 90 days. The FDA did not raise any concern regarding the general approvability of elinzanetant in its correspondence.
Overture Life appoints Matt Combs as COO to lead scale-up of IVF automation technology
Automated IVF technology company, Overture Life – which delivered the first live births in the world from automated fertilisation and egg freezing – has announced the appointment of Matthew Combs as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
Combs joins Overture to drive global expansion amid rising domestic and international demand for IVF automation technology that directly addresses the embryologist shortages worldwide.
In the newly created role, Combs will lead the company’s global commercialisation as it expands access to technology that automates fertilisation and egg freezing processes previously done by hand.
These include the ICSI.A, the world’s first robot for automated fertilisation, and the DaVitri, for automated, consistent, high-quality vitrification that will expand egg freezing beyond specialised IVF facilities. Combs will focus on scaling Overture Life’s fertility technologies to meet growing clinic demand.
The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) has announced that submissions are open for the 2026 Innovation Showcase, giving early and growth-stage start-ups the chance to present their solutions to the most influential audience in women’s health.
Taking place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts, WHIS brings together more than 1,000 decision-makers from across the women’s health ecosystem — investors, payers, health systems, pharma leaders, and employers — all under one roof.
Selected companies will pitch live on stage to an audience with the funding, expertise, and connections to accelerate their growth.
Past participants have walked away with investor introductions, commercial partnerships, and clinical collaborations that moved from conversation to contract.
WHIS is where the women’s health ecosystem comes together to get deals done,” said Sarah Rowlands, marketing director.
“The Innovation Showcase puts promising start ups directly in front of the people who can take them to the next level.”
The showcase sits at the heart of a three-day programme spanning digital health, therapeutics, diagnostics, and consumer health.
Previous attendees have included representatives from Mayo Clinic, CVS Health, Eli Lilly, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Alumni Ventures, Muse Capital, and Maverick Ventures, among hundreds of others.
Applications are open now. Start-ups can submit at
www.whisusa.com/attend/start-ups
About WHIS
Now in its eighth year, the Women’s Health Innovation Summit is the largest global gathering of senior leaders shaping the future of women’s health.
Organised by Kisaco Research, WHIS unites providers, health plans, employers, regulators, pharma, investors, and innovators to increase deal flow, expand reimbursement, improve access, and deliver better health outcomes for women at every stage of life.
WHIS 2026 takes place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor, Everett, MA.
Learn more at www.whisusa.com
Five women-led startups will compete for a share of a £30,000 prize fund in Imperial’s WE Innovate final on Monday 15 June 2026.
The finalists are building businesses to tackle challenges in areas including vaccine technology, epilepsy care and the destruction of “forever chemicals”.
The WE Innovate programme, run by Imperial Enterprise Lab, is a targeted pre-accelerator open to teams led by students, recent alumni and early career researchers who identify as women.
The programme supports 25 women-led teams through six months of masterclasses, business coaching, one-to-one expert support and peer mentoring.
The top five teams will compete to win a share of the £30,000 prize fund at the WE Innovate Grand Final Showcase at Imperial on Monday 15 June 2026 from 18:00 to 21:00.
Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This year’s final also marks the second year of WE Innovate National, a growing UK-wide programme that has expanded the WE Innovate model built at Imperial to other parts of the country.
Alongside Imperial, Queen’s University Belfast, Swansea University and Loughborough University are each hosting their own grand final showcases on their campuses.
The four showcases are collectively contributing to a shared national ecosystem focused on supporting women-led innovation.
WE Innovate National is set to expand to seven universities next year, supporting 175 women-led startup teams across the UK.
AlphaVectors Biotech is developing a lipid nanoparticle platform to enhance the stability of RNA vaccines at room temperatures.
Lipid nanoparticles are tiny fat-based particles used to deliver genetic medicines into the body. RNA vaccines use genetic instructions to help the immune system recognise a disease target.
Current RNA-based therapeutics rely on lipid nanoparticles that need storage at between -20°C and -80°C and high dosing. This increases distribution costs and leads to significant wastage, limiting scalability, deployment and accessibility in lower-resource markets.
AlphaVectors Biotech says its technology can lower the need for temperature-controlled supply chains, reduce costs and improve the scalability of RNA vaccines for wider deployment.
The startup is led by Dr Apanpreet Kaur, an Imperial alumnus with a PhD in chemical engineering.
Epile-X, by NeuraVance Labs, is working on a platform that could provide continuous, real-world brain monitoring for people with epilepsy.
More than 630,000 people in the UK live with epilepsy, according to the charity Epilepsy Action.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that can cause recurring seizures. EEG, or electroencephalography, is a test that records electrical activity in the brain.
Current diagnosis relies on EEG recordings in clinical settings and patient-reported diaries, which may miss seizures that happen during daily life.
The startup says its technology combines a wearable EEG with AI-driven analysis to capture daily brain activity and support improved diagnosis and more personalised treatment decisions.
Epile-X is led by Ester D’Alterio, an innovation, entrepreneurship and management MSc graduate from Imperial.
FluoroCycle is developing technology for low-energy chemical destruction of PFAS, breaking down “forever chemicals” at 10 times lower temperatures than current incineration methods.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals found in air, water and soil. Some studies have linked exposure to them to health risks including thyroid disease, reproductive illness and cancer.
The startup aims to make PFAS destruction more affordable by providing its technology as an onsite engineered unit, allowing customers to save on energy and transport costs while cutting their carbon footprint.
FluoroCycle is led by Amanda Fogh, a research associate in Imperial’s department of chemistry.
Waypoint is building a video game controller for visually impaired players to hear and feel popular games, including Super Mario and Minecraft.
At least 2.2 billion people globally have some form of vision impairment, according to the World Health Organisation, while estimates show around 43 million people have complete blindness.
Waypoint says only 0.001 per cent of video games are fully playable for blind gamers.
The startup’s technology uses computer vision and AI to read the game screen and translate key information into sound, vibration and touch for a fully immersive experience.
The founders say it is the first game controller designed to make video games fully playable for blind players.
Waypoint is led by Bana Quronfuleh, an innovation design engineering MSc student at Imperial.
Snitch is developing an accountability-based app that allows friends to cut down their screen time together.
UK adults spend an average of 4.5 hours a day online on personal smartphones, tablets and computers, according to Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report.
Young adults spend more than six hours online on average. Some research suggests excessive screen use may have a negative impact on mental and physical health.
The app allows users to join accountability groups and set shared limits across their most used apps.
When one person scrolls, the group’s combined timer counts down. The founders say this helps build awareness, encourage reflection and create small behavioural shifts by making screen use a shared responsibility.
Snitch is led by Asha Bakhai, a design engineering MEng graduate from Imperial.
Indian pharmaceutical giant Sun Pharma has agreed to buy Organon for US$11.75bn in a deal aimed at expanding its women’s health and biosimilars business.
Organon, which was spun out of Merck in 2021, has built a portfolio of more than 70 women’s health and general medicines products, including biosimilars, sold in the US and about 140 other countries.
The acquisition would give Sun Pharma a broader presence in biosimilars, which are medicines designed to be highly similar to existing biological drugs, and strengthen its position in women’s health.
Dilip Shanghvi, executive chairman of Sun Pharma, said: “Organon’s portfolio, capabilities, and global reach are highly complementary to our own, and we believe that bringing the two organizations together can create a stronger and more diversified platform.”
The companies said the combined business would generate annual revenue of US$12.4bn, operate across 150 countries and rank among the top three companies globally in women’s health.
They also said it would become the seventh largest biosimilar player.
Sun Pharma said the deal would help grow its innovative medicines business and expand its biosimilars offering.
It added that the combined company would have 18 large markets each generating more than US$100m in revenue.
Organon’s largest markets include the US, Brazil, Canada, China and countries in the European Union. The company also has six manufacturing facilities across the EU and emerging markets.
The deal follows market speculation that began on 10 April, when Indian media reported that Sun Pharma had submitted an all-cash offer for Organon.
A later report said the offer had been revised to US$13bn. Sun Pharma shares rose about 7 per cent on India’s National Stock Exchange after the announcement.
Sun Pharma said it would acquire all of Organon’s issued and outstanding shares in cash, using a combination of available cash and committed bank financing. It also estimated synergies of about US$350m within two to four years of completion.
The company said the acquisition would strengthen its cash generation, with EBITDA and cash flow set to nearly double, supporting efforts to reduce the net debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.3 times resulting from the deal. EBITDA is a measure of operating performance before certain costs are deducted.
Organon reported revenue of US$6.2bn last year and adjusted EBITDA of US$1.9bn. It also reported debt of US$8.64bn, down from US$9.5bn when it separated from Merck, and a cash balance of US$574m.
In November, Organon announced plans to sell its JADA System, designed to control and treat abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding or haemorrhage, to Laborie Medical Technologies for up to US$465m. Net proceeds from the sale will contribute to Organon’s cash balance as of 31 March 2026.
Organon will merge with a subsidiary of Sun Pharma, with Organon surviving the merger. The boards of both companies have approved the transaction.
Carrie Cox, executive chair of Organon, said: “Following a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives, our Board determined that this all-cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders.”
The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and Organon stockholder approval.
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