Investment roundup: Finland and UNICEF launch femtech investment opportunity, $1m for next-gen fertility clinics in India, and more

Femtech World explores the latest investment developments in the world of women’s health.

Arva Health raises US$1m to build India’s next-gen fertility clinics

Arva Health has announced that it has raised US$1m in pre-seed funding to build next generation fertility clinics in India.

The company has stated that the funding will fuel the launch of India’s first network of tech-enabled fertility clinics, beginning in Whitefield, Bangalore which will provide fertility testing, consultations, egg freezing, and IVF in a modern setting.

Arva says it plans to open clinics in ten locations, including Mumbai and Delhi, by 2027, and that it intends to expand into men’s fertility services and develop a digital platform to offer continuous support for fertility.

Sinai Health Foundation receives investment for mature women’s health centre

Sinai Health Foundation has received investment that will help build the physical space to house the Centre for Mature Women’s Health. The centre will focus on closing gaps and addressing the health inequities that women face as well as providing the resources for research, education and training to set a new standard for mature women’s health care in Canada and globally.

The centre will also foster improved integration, fuel research operations and expand education activities like establishing first-of-their-kind Chairs in emerging fields or expanding menopause training programs to equip health practitioners with the latest in treatments.

“Our vision is to ensure women can access the health care that addresses their unique physiological needs at every stage of their lives,” said Dr. Wendy Wolfman, Director of the Centre for Mature Women’s Health.

“Through the generosity of our community, we have been able to turn this vision into a reality by making the Centre the most comprehensive of its kind in the world.”

Finland and UNICEF launch global investment opportunity for femtech solutions

The Embassy of Finland in New Delhi and UNICEF have launched a global call for applications from tech startups in low- and middle-income countries developing fem tech solutions.

The UNICEF Venture Fund will identify and invest in these tech solutions offering grant funding and one year of mentoring. Early-stage tech start-ups developing open source solutions using cutting edge technology including AI and blockchain are encouraged to apply before 8 May 2025.

The Fund has stated it is building on a first decade of social venture investment by doubling the impact of investments to reach more people in more countries in half the time by 2030. The Ethereum Foundation, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), GSR Foundation will all be contributing to this aim.

Zero Candida begins trading on OTCQB market

Femtech medical device company Zero Candida Technologies has now begun trading on the OTCQB Venture Market under the ticker symbol “ZCTFF”. The company will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Eli Ben Haroosh, Founder and CEO of ZCT, commented: “Today’s announcement is another exciting milestone for Zero Candida’s long-term growth. We look forward to expanding our market presence and strategic partnerships, broadening our investor base to support our mission, and unlock substantial value through AI-driven medical technology.

“This listing comes at a pivotal time, aligning with our recent patent advancements and the rapidly growing VVC treatment market, driven by strong US demand.”

Fem Tech Innovation Hub launches in Pakistan

The Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) has launched the Femtech Innovation Hub for Pakistan (FIHP), according to news reports. The initiative has been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Centre is located at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and has been launched in collaboration with the LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship (LCE).

The hub will enable Femtech startups to have access to mentorship and investment opportunities and will work to find innovative technological solutions for women’s health issues.

$125,000 for women-led healthcare platform at DMZ Women Innovation Summit

Betakit has reported that four women-led startups bagged US$535,000 in new investments at the DMZ Women Innovation Summit.

One female-led AI-powered healthcare platform, Migranium received $125,000, which has been designed to optimise healthcare operations such as scheduling, messaging, patient care and more.