Entrepreneur
Round up: FemHealth Ventures closes oversubscribed US$65m Fund II, and more

Femtech World explores the latest business developments in the world of women’s health.
FemHealth Ventures closes oversubscribed US$65m Fund II
FemHealth Ventures, a women’s health-focused venture capital firm, has closed on FemHealth Ventures Fund II at US$65m.
The oversubscribed raise brings the firm’s assets under management to US$100m across two funds and further solidifies FemHealth Ventures’ position as a category-defining investor in women’s health innovation.
The fund received significant support from existing limited partners alongside new investors aligned with the firm’s mission to transform women’s health.
“We are thrilled to announce the successful close of Fund II, more than doubling the size of our inaugural fund,” said Maneesha Ghiya, managing partner of FemHealth Ventures.
“This raise reflects growing recognition that women’s health innovation offers both substantial societal impact and compelling investment potential.
“We are grateful for the trust our limited partners continue to place in us.”
“The next generation of transformative women’s health companies will be led by visionary founders, and we are honored to support them,” added Sara Crown Star, Venture Partner at FemHealth Ventures.
Fund II will continue investing across drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital / AI-enabled technologies that address unmet needs in women’s health.
FDA clearance for wearable supporting urinary incontinence
BlueWind Medical has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for its enhanced Revi wearable designed to deliver therapy more effectively and seamlessly support long-term symptom relief for patients with urgency urinary incontinence (UUI).
The updated Revi wearable features a streamlined, easy-to-use design with a smarter, user-friendly interface, while retaining the same simple, three-button control.
Together, these enhancements are intended to make it easier for patients, giving them greater confidence, control, and convenience in managing their UUI.
The Revi System offers personalised therapy that adapts to each person’s unique and changing UUI symptoms with adjustable, wearable control; symptom relief, with 79 per cent of patients achieving a 50 per cent reduction in UUI; and a strong safety profile, with no device- or procedure-related serious adverse events, no device migrations, and no device revision procedures.
“We are proud to lead the next generation of technology for the treatment of urgency urinary incontinence,” said Kerry Nelson, CEO of BlueWind Medical.
“BlueWind has been at the forefront of the field, pioneering implantable tibial neuromodulation for UUI. Our strong clinical evidence and our focus on patient comfort and satisfaction show that when patients can personalize their therapy, outcomes improve.
“The enhanced wearable continues that philosophy by making therapy easy to use, adaptable to each patient’s lifestyle, and supportive of long-term use.
“All of this helps patients achieve durable symptom relief and overall satisfaction.”
CE Mark for treatment for women with PCOS-related Infertility
Medical device company May Health has announced that its novel technology to treat PCOS-related infertility, the Anavi System, has received CE Mark certification.
The CE Mark, granted under the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) 2017/745, is a significant regulatory milestone that enables commercialization in the European Union.
The Anavi System is treatment offered as a one-time, office-based procedure intended to restore natural ovulation in women with PCOS-related infertility who do not respond to, are contraindicated for, or decline first-line medications.
Building on the established success of laparoscopic ovarian surgery to restore ovulation, this approach translates a laparoscopic procedure into a more accessible, ultrasound-guided in-office option.
The Anavi System delivers targeted radiofrequency (RF) energy to ablate a small fraction of ovarian tissue with the aim of re-initiating ovulatory cycles, offering an alternative for women who are not ready, willing, or able to advance to IVF.
“Approximately 80 per cent of women with PCOS have oligo-anovulatory infertility, a condition characterised by lack of ovulation,” said Dr Saad Amer, lead investigator of the ULTRA EU study, expert in PCOS, endometriosis, and infertility, and professor at the University of Nottingham.
“Moreover, 20–30 per cent of those women do not respond to first-line ovulation induction therapies.
“The Anavi System provides a compelling treatment option that restores ovulation in women with PCOS without the use of any hormonal therapy, and as a single, in-office procedure that can be efficiently incorporated into the care pathway for appropriate PCOS women.”
CE Mark certification for the Anavi System was supported by safety and feasibility data from the ULTRA clinical studies conducted in Europe and the United States.
Participants were women with PCOS who were anovulatory or oligo-ovulatory and had failed to respond to first-line pharmacologic treatments, or who were contraindicated for or declined such treatment.
A preliminary analysis from the ULTRA studies presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Annual Meeting in 2025 demonstrated that, in 26 of 32 women evaluable at 12 months, 77 per cent reported ovulation, with 13 women experiencing spontaneous ovulation and seven women ovulating after first-line medications were resumed.
At 12 months, a 46 per cent cumulative pregnancy rate was observed, including 10 spontaneous pregnancies (seven with and three without the restart of first-line medication) and two pregnancies with assisted reproductive technology (one intrauterine insemination (IUI), one IVF), resulting in six live births at the time of reporting.
The most common procedure-related adverse events were reported as mild and included vaginal bleeding, pain, and headache.
The CE Mark permits commercialization of the Anavi System in the European Union, with rollout planned on a country-by-country basis.
Partnership to to expand access to rapid STI testing
Testmate Health and Intermountain Health have announced a strategic partnership and investment to accelerate access to rapid, low-cost molecular tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the US.
The collaboration enables Intermountain Health and Testmate Health to bring lab-quality STI diagnostics to at-risk communities.
STIs remain a largely silent epidemic, with 80 per cent of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections going undiagnosed each year.
Populations most affected include college students, LGBTQ+ communities, and rural or low-resource clinics face significant barriers to timely testing and treatment.
This partnership and investment directly address that gap by bringing high-accuracy, low-cost diagnostics to the people and places that need them most.
“Our partnership and investment in Testmate reflects our commitment to solutions that make care faster, more accessible, and equitable,” said Karen Brownwell, vice president of Lab Services at Intermountain Health.
“When these STI tests become FDA-approved in the US, Testmate’s innovative approach to molecular diagnostics will allow us to deliver lab-quality results outside traditional lab settings, directly impacting communities that have historically lacked access to timely testing.”
Testmate’s single-use, reader-free molecular test for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, are able to deliver lab-quality results in under 30 minutes without central lab infrastructure.
The molecular tests are easy to use and compatible with both urine and swab samples, enabling rapid, private and stigma-free testing.
“This partnership and investment empowers people to take control of their sexual and reproductive health without barriers, stigma, or waiting,” said Dr Siew-Veena Sahi, CEO and founder of Testmate Health.
“By partnering with Intermountain Health, we could scale access to diagnostics in a way that changes outcomes for patients and communities alike.”
Through combining Testmate’s physician-built diagnostics with Intermountain’s infrastructure and clinical expertise, the programme aims to dramatically increase early detection, improve treatment, reduce loss to follow-up and lower healthcare costs.
Entrepreneur
Last chance to save on Women’s Health Week and Women’s Sport Summit: Early Bird pricing ends 11 September

Early bird pricing for W Group’s two flagship October summits – Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 and Women’s Sport Summit Europe 2026 – closes on 11 September.
Both events take place at Emirates Stadium, London, bringing together founders, investors, corporates, and industry leaders shaping the future of women’s health and sport.
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026
7-8 October | Emirates Stadium, London
This year’s edition will be Women’s Health Week Europe biggest one yet: with 700+ attendees, 80+ speakers, and 20+ sponsors, it will also feature two stages – a Global Stage covering market trends and policy, and a Scale Stage focused on company-level growth and commercialisation. WHW takes place across two days of content, business matchmaking, and dealmaking.
Agenda highlights include:
- Where Capital Flows: Funding Trends in Women’s Health – with Merete Clausen (EIF), Ekaterina Gianelli (Calm/Storm), Henriette Hessen (Verdane), Jemma Day (British Business Bank), Ravit Warsha Dor (Telus Global Ventures), Tim Davis (LSEG)
- Six Feet Under-funded: Surviving the Valley of Death in Women’s Health – with Patric Stenberg (Gesynta Pharma), Valentina Milanova (Daye), Amber Vodegel (28x)
- The Women’s Health Label – Gift or Curse? · Live Debate – with Juan Camilo Arjona Ferreira (organon), Marissa Fayer (DeepLook Medical), Christian Lautner (Heal Capital), Annie Theriault (CBIV), Ida Tin (Clue)
- Passport to Scale: Taking Your Women’s Health Business Global – with Vanessa Carpenter (Femtech Across Borders), Annie Theriault (CBIV), Victorine Lançon (Daya Ventures), Dr Mridula Pore (Peppy)
Early bird pricing (ends 11 September):
| Ticket type | Early bird | Standard |
| Startups, Scaleups, Investors, Non-Profits, Government | £599 + VAT | £699 + VAT |
| Corporates, Payors & Providers | £1,799 + VAT | £1,999 + VAT |
| Service Providers & Consultants | £3,299 + VAT | £3,499 + VAT |
Register for Women’s Health Week Europe | See the full agenda for WHW
Women’s Sport Summit Europe 2026
6 October | Emirates Stadium, London
The first-ever Women’s Sport Summit expands W Group’s expertise in connecting key decision-makers to the sports industry.
WSS brings together rights holders, brands, investors, athletes, and media to accelerate commercial growth across the sector.
Agenda highlights include:
- From capital to crowd: the women’s sport cycle at scale – with Omar Shaikh (Arsenal FC), Nicole McWilliams (Google), Kerstin Lutz (Mercury13), Jo Currie (BBC Sport)
- Women’s sport through the investor lens: what gets funded – and why – Hugo Sever (APEX Capital)
- Rethinking ROI: what are we measuring that doesn’t actually matter? – Fi Watherston (Metro Bank), Silvia Keiser (Billie Jean King Cup), Gabriel Akin-Odujobi (Crux Football), Tammy Parlour (WST)
- Beyond the 90 minutes: matchday as a commercial product, not just a fixture – Maggie Murphy (Aston Villa Women FC), Sam Feasey (Diageo/Guinness), Molly Miller (OneFootball), Megan Feringa (The Athletic/The New York Times)
Early bird pricing (ends 11 September):
| Ticket type | Early bird | Standard |
| General Pass | £299 + VAT | £399 + VAT |
| Service Providers & Consultants | £1,799 + VAT | £1,999 + VAT |
Register for Women’s Sport Summit Europe | See the full agenda for WSS
Attending both events?
For group tickets or to attend both summits this October, contact Callum, W Group’s Client Success Lead, at [email protected].
Pregnancy
KOVE Medical raises €1.7 million to improve safety of foetal surgery

KOVE Medical has raised €1.7 million to support first-in-human studies of an implantable device designed to reduce preterm birth risk after foetal surgery.
The University of Zurich spin-off is developing a device designed to close defects left by surgical instruments following fetoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure performed inside the womb.
Fetoscopies can treat life-threatening conditions before birth but require surgical instruments to pass through the uterine wall and amniotic sac.
This can weaken the protective membrane, causing fluid leakage or rupture and often leading to preterm birth.
KOVE Medical said in a statement on LinkedIn: “This is a crucial step forward for our company, and we are incredibly grateful for the strong support and trust from our syndicate of visionary angel investors.”
KOVE Medical says its device closes the defect at the end of the procedure, stabilising the membrane and preventing complications. The aim is to make in-utero interventions safe enough to become a standard method of care.
The company plans to use the seed funding to reach first-in-human studies, a key milestone for a medical device seeking regulatory approval.
The CHF1.6m round was backed by a syndicate of angel investors.
Entrepreneur
WHIS 2026 adds 18 new speakers to October summit agenda

The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), the event uniting the global women’s health ecosystem, has just announced 18 new speakers joining the agenda for its 2026 summit, taking place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor.
The latest additions bring further depth across pharma, clinical research, health systems, venture, and policy, reinforcing WHIS’s role as the only platform where the full women’s health ecosystem convenes under one roof.
Newly confirmed speakers include:
- Kelle Moley, MD – VP, Women’s Health Early Phase Clinical Development, Cardiometabolic Research, Eli Lilly & Company
- Justine Levin-Allerhand – Executive Partner, Chief Corporate Development Officer & COO, Flagship Labs, Flagship Pioneering
- Sebnem Yildirimoglu, MD, PMP – Executive Director, Women’s Health Strategy, Premier Research
- Terri Stewart – Head of Global Healthcare & Government Affairs, EMD Serono
- Dr. Morag Grassie – Executive Director, Blavatnik Fund for Innovation, Yale
- Sandra Butler – Director, Design Impact, Mass General Brigham
- Zhenya Lindgardt – Chief Executive Officer, Sera Prognostics
- Sadie Morahan – Head of US Revenue, Withings Health Solutions
- Angela Drew, PhD – Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Premier Research
- Dr. Stephanie Lahr – CMIO, Aqurio
- Michelle Andrews – Contributing Writer, KFF Health News
- Charlotte Williams – CEO, My Bump Hub
- Clint Dart, MS – Director, NIH Women’s Health Data Coordinating Center, Premier Research
- Cass Sanford – US Venture Advisor, FemTech Lab
- Megan Mukuria – Founder & CEO, ZanaAfrica
- Tiffany Inglis, MD, FACOG – Chief Medical Officer, Sera Prognostics
- Angelean Hendrix, PhD – Vice President, Pharmacometrics and MIDD, Premier Research
- Amanda Ducach – CEO & Co-founder, EmaEQ
“WHIS is where the women’s health industry comes together to take action,” said Poppy Howard-Wall, Event Director at WHIS.
“This latest wave of speakers reflects exactly the kind of cross-sector expertise our attendees expect – from global pharma and clinical research leadership to venture, health systems, and grassroots innovation.
“It’s this breadth that makes WHIS the room where things actually move forward.”
Bringing the Full Ecosystem Together
These additions join a growing 2026 agenda spanning four content tracks that reflect the full lifecycle of healthcare innovation, from early-stage research and development through to patient delivery, system transformation, and commercial scale.
Attendees can expect over 1,000 senior decision-makers, 120+ expert speakers, four dedicated stages, and more than 10 hours of curated 1:1 meetings.
Full speaker and agenda details are available at whisusa.com/speakers-2026.
About WHIS
The Women’s Health Innovation Summit is the only platform uniting the full women’s health ecosystem – providers, payers, employers, pharma leaders, investors, and innovators -to increase deal flow, expand reimbursement, improve access, and deliver better outcomes for women at every stage of life.
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