Redefining the future of femtech: Milestones that shaped the sector in 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, our editor reflects on some of the key stories, trends and milestones in femtech over the last 12 months.

This year, femtech didn’t just advance in terms of apps and wearables; it became an important part of the wider discussion around addressing gaps and inequalities in public health systems, scientific research and society as a whole.

We take a look at some of the key milestones at the heart of this transformation, and what they say about where women’s health is headed.

A national plan for women’s health?

In July, the publication of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan presented a pivotal moment for the future of women’s health in the UK.

Experts told Femtech World that the plan to shift toward prevention, digital health, and community-based care offers real promise, but as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and other women’s health leaders pointed out, it still lacks a concrete strategy to close the gender health gap.

There were some positive steps to address this later in the year, when Dame Lesley Regan revealed she has been tasked with ‘revamping’ the government’s Women’s Health Strategy, first published in 2022.

Officials have confirmed the strategy will be renewed in a drive to improve access and tackle inequalities.

Femtech vs Big Tech

The battle between femtech founders and big tech continued throughout 2025 – and the online censorship of women’s health companies finally gained mainstream attention.

A survey of 95 brands, creators, medical professionals, charities, consumers and professionals, carried out by CensHERship, found that 95 per cent of respondents reported at least one issue with the censorship of women’s health and/or sexual wellbeing content online.

In March, six leading startups in the femtech space filed formal complaints with the European Commission over systemic bias and discrimination in content moderation by major online platforms.

Official complaints have also been made to OFCOM regarding Meta’s moderation of women’s health content.

Public and private health collaboration 

The NHS 10-Year-Plan was described as a “huge opportunity” to build ethical, evidence-based tools based on the needs of real women.

With the government’s focus on digital health, experts told Femtech World they expect to see more public-private partnerships being pursued to address some of the challenges facing women in the healthcare system.

The authors of the Femtech Focus report also agree that digital technologies and AI have a ‘central role’ to play in ‘boosting efficiency’.

A move towards more inclusive research 

New research released in 2025 highlighted critical differences in how women experience neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, pointing to a need for more sex-specific research, diagnosis, and treatment protocols.

We also saw progress in terms of conduction this long-term, inclusive research with the launch of the first women-focused health tissue bank in Europe.

The scientists behind it aim to build a biobank truly representative of the population to unlock insights into diseases that affect women differently and help advance new and more effective treatments.

Major investment in women’s health 

2025 also saw a renewed wave of funding for women’s health, with major philanthropic initiatives pledging hundreds of millions in investment to fund new research into maternal health, reproductive rights, women’s mental health, and underfunded conditions.

This included the launch of the Women’s Health Co-Lab, backed by the investment powerhouse Iconiq Impact and supported by Melinda French Gates, which followed previous funding commitments from French Gates, Pivotal Ventures and Wellcome Leap, enabling research into reducing stillbirths, halving women’s lifetime risk of Alzheimer’s, and accelerating diagnosis for heavy menstrual bleeding.

Re-defining femtech 

From chronic diseases which disproportionately impact women, to systemic health inequities and a lack of understanding in how symptoms present, 2025 was the year that experts called for a reframing of the narrative around ‘women’s health’. 

Led by Kate Lancaster, CEO of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, experts behind a UK report agreed that women’s health should be seen not as a subset of reproductive care, but as the broader ‘health of women’.

Experts highlighted that siloed services and the way women’s health is conceptualised are obstacles to a more ‘joined-up’ approach that could help to deliver improved outcomes for women.

This year has demonstrated that femtech’s potential reaches far beyond the latest tech trend or wellness wearable.

If done right, it can help lay the foundation for a more equal healthcare system and society.

But what can we expect from the year ahead?

Look out for our 2026 femtech trends forecast coming soon.