Ten FemTech innovations join UK Evaluate programme

Ten FemTech innovations have been chosen for Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate, led by Health Innovation South London and DigitalHealth.London with UK partners.

The accelerator, part of the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst, supports women’s health solutions at technology readiness level 4 or higher, meaning prototypes proven in a lab or relevant setting and preparing for market entry.

Delivered with Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, the programme will help companies grow, connect with decision-makers and plan real-world testing in health services.

Women spend around 25 per cent more of their lives in ill health than men, yet only one per cent of global health research and innovation focuses on women-specific conditions.

Selected innovations include a heated bra for cyclical breast pain, cognitive behavioural therapy for menopause support, biosensors to help detect respiratory disease, compassionate support after pregnancy loss and an AI-powered thermal imaging tool for breast screening. Cognitive behavioural therapy is a talking therapy that helps people change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Thermal imaging maps heat patterns on the skin to highlight potential concerns. Biosensors are small devices that detect biological signals.

Dr Sean Clarkson, head of strategic operations at Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, said: “The ten selected innovations have huge potential to make an impact on women’s health. I am delighted to support the programme and excited to see how these innovative solutions develop.”

“At Yorkshire & Humber we have a strong focus on women’s health and we will be providing mentorship, subject matter expertise and business coaching.”

Several solutions draw on lived experience, including a microbiome serum inspired by recurrent urinary tract infections, and a maternity training platform that brings local women’s experiences to life through virtual reality.

The cohort also includes tools that support community-based care, such as a digital preventive maternal health platform, a therapeutic platform for people living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome, and an agency-building app for chronic pelvic pain.

Over three months, innovators will follow a hybrid curriculum with virtual training and in-person support from a business coach, plus guidance on evaluation routes such as health economic analyses.

Companies will also attend two residentials, take part in expert-led webinars, receive one-to-one mentoring across the health and care system and join an end-of-programme showcase, with the chance to apply for closed-call feasibility funding through Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst.

Dr Chiara Board, chief executive and founder of P.Happi, said: “We need more innovation and access to better care in women’s health—and with limited funding flowing into the sector, programmes like this are so vital. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate programme alongside other changemakers. P.Happi, born from science and personal experience, will use this opportunity to advance our mission of making pioneering microbiome innovation accessible to more women through community and public healthcare.”

Anja Ueland, director of Meyva, said: “I’m really proud that Meyva has been selected for the Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate programme. This opportunity will help us build the evidence needed to support heat therapy as a safe, effective option for women experiencing cyclical mastalgia. For too long, breast pain has been dismissed or overlooked. It means a lot to see this issue recognised and to be part of a programme helping women’s health innovations move from personal experience to real-world impact.”

Geetha Manjunath, chief executive of Niramai Health Analytix, said: “We are honoured to be selected for the Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate programme. This recognition reinforces our mission to make advanced, accessible health screening available to women everywhere. Through this initiative, we look forward to collaborating with the UK’s vibrant health innovation ecosystem to expand Niramai’s clinically proven, AI-based Thermalytix technology, improve early breast cancer detection, and contribute to the NHS’s goals for equitable and preventive women’s health.”