Events
Reimagining women’s health with WHIS 2025
There is an increasing recognition that investing in women’s health is both a moral and an economic imperative.
Women represent half of the global population and are often the primary healthcare decision-makers for their families.
Yet, historically, women’s health has been underfunded and underserved in clinical research and healthcare policies.
This has created gaps in access to care and a lack of representation of women’s health needs in medical advancements.
For the past six years, the Women’s Health Innovation Series has been a leading force in advancing women’s health.
Now, as part of its ongoing mission to increase access and accelerate innovations for the health of women, the series has undergone a transformative rebrand – expanding its scope to offer a more comprehensive, integrated approach to the diverse and complex landscape of women’s health.
By integrating their previous FemTech and Reproductive Health events under one dynamic umbrella, WHIS is reimagining how the industry engages and tackles the most critical conversations and challenges faced in women’s healthcare.
This rebrand signals a shift towards a more holistic approach—one that seeks to address systemic barriers in healthcare delivery, policy, and technology.
The Need for a Holistic Approach to Women’s Health
Historically, women’s health has been viewed primarily through the lens of reproductive and maternal health.
However, today’s healthcare landscape recognises that women face unique health challenges that require a comprehensive approach, one that encompasses physical, emotional, and mental well-being throughout the lifespan.
This holistic approach is at the core of WHIS 2025, with the event emphasising the importance of shifting the focus from isolated health conditions to integrated, patient-centred care.
As women live longer, there is an increasing need to address ageing-related conditions, such as osteoporosis, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases—conditions that affect women differently than men.
Chronic conditions like heart disease, for example, have long been studied from a male-centric perspective but require a more nuanced understanding when it comes to women’s health.
Medtronic’s President of Heart, Nina Goodheart will delve into how existing medical interventions are supporting the health of women against cardiovascular disease.
She will focus on advancements in treatment options, the critical role of early detection, personalised care, and preventative strategies.
By taking a holistic view of women’s health, healthcare systems can ensure that women receive the comprehensive care they need to thrive at every stage of life.
Reducing Barriers to Access
A holistic approach also means tackling the significant barriers women face when trying to access care.
Many women experience additional challenges such as caregiving responsibilities, financial constraints, and inadequate insurance coverage, which contribute to delayed diagnoses, poorer health outcomes, and increased strain on women, particularly in underserved communities.
To address these inequities, there is a growing recognition that a shift toward value-based care is essential.
Unlike the traditional fee-for-service models, which prioritise the volume of services provided, value-based care emphasises the importance of improving patient outcomes.
Dianne Balon, SVP of Government at Blue Cross Alberta, will discuss the importance of conveying the value of preventative care and interventions to payers.
By demonstrating the long-term benefits of investing in women’s health—through improved outcomes and reduced long-term costs—healthcare providers can make a compelling case to insurers for broader access to women’s health services.
Fertility and Maternal Health
Fertility and maternal health continue to be major areas of concern, particularly in the U.S., where access to fertility treatments remains difficult for many due to high costs, limited insurance coverage, and geographical barriers.
These systemic issues prevent many women and families from accessing the reproductive care they need, creating significant disparities in maternal health outcomes.
Neel Shah, Chief Medical Officer at Maven Clinic, will dive into the complexities of the U.S. fertility landscape.
He will address the financial and policy barriers that prevent equitable access to IVF and other fertility treatments, discussing innovative solutions, such as expanding fertility benefits through employer-sponsored insurance, telemedicine, and other models that could help democratize access to fertility services.
Additionally, a woman’s journey to motherhood is far from linear, and providing comprehensive care throughout pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period is essential.
This holistic approach includes addressing mental health challenges like postpartum depression and providing access to services such as prenatal education, lactation support, and childcare.
However, traditional reimbursement models often fail to support the long-term, continuous care needed to address the full spectrum of maternal health needs.
As a result, many women are left without the comprehensive support they need during these critical life stages.
Empowering Women Through Data and Technology
As women’s health continues to evolve, the role of consumer and digital health technologies is becoming increasingly important in shaping the future of care.
Wearables, connected health devices, and consumer-driven health solutions are providing women with more control over their well-being, empowering them to monitor a wide range of health metrics.
Dorothy Kilroy, Chief Commercial Officer at OURA will explore the transformative potential of wearable technologies and connected health devices in empowering women to take charge of their health. his empowerment also extends to how women engage with healthcare providers.
By sharing real-time data with clinicians, women can benefit from more personalised care plans, early detection of health issues, and targeted preventative measures.
WHIS 2025 is rethinking how women’s health is perceived and addressed – shifting from a fragmented, isolated approach to one that prioritises holistic, integrated care throughout a women’s lifespan.
By bringing together leaders from across the entire healthcare continuum, the WHIS 2025 will catalyse critical conversations and actions to reshape the healthcare system’s approach to the unique challenges women face.
Registration for WHIS 2025 is now open and you can benefit from an exclusive discount on top of their lowest ticket price (book before May 9).
Use code FTW10 for an additional 10% off.
From AI embryo analysis in India to couples fertility care launching in the US, Korea’s women’s health startups are going global, and US investors are taking notice.
Vespexx, the femtech company behind couples preconception health platform Soonr, hosted Korea Femtech Summit 2026 on June 30 in Seoul, convening founders, clinicians, and investors from Korea, Singapore, Canada, and Japan to map the global expansion of women’s health technology.
A panel moderated by Kakao Ventures’ Jade Chung, an OB/GYN-turned-investor, captured the summit’s central theme: Korean startups taking on the world. On stage were three companies already building well beyond Korea. Vespexx, led by Co-CEO Scarlett Joowon Jung, is entering the US with Soonr; Kai Health, founded by CEO Hyejun Lee, has deployed its AI embryo-analysis software across more than 120 fertility clinics in India; and Endo Health, represented by the Head of Design Karlie Hyeonjeong Koo, has built Glow, an AI coaching app whose user base is 98% women and which is backed by US investors including a16z. Together they discussed what it takes for Korean startups to compete globally, where AI creates a real edge, and whether “K-femtech” can follow the path of K-beauty onto the world stage.
The program spanned the full arc of women’s health technology. Lindsay Davis, founder of FemTech Association Asia, opened with a look at where Asia’s femtech stands today. Dr. Juhye Lee of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital offered a clinician’s view of how patient needs are shifting, arguing that women’s health is expanding beyond pregnancy and treatment toward care across the entire life course. Boram Bae, Head of Digital Health PM Part at Samsung Electronics spoke to how a consumer platform at global scale can connect women’s everyday health data with life-stage care. And Rimi Lee, head of the Femtech Center at KOSDAQ-listed diagnostics company Sugentech, traced the evolution of hormone testing from results read by eye to AI-assisted analysis, and pointed toward wearable continuous hormone monitoring as the next frontier.
Vespexx Co-CEO Scarlett Joowon Jung presented the company’s “dyadic health” approach on their ‘Soonr’ app, which brings both partners into fertility and preconception care rather than tracking a woman’s data alone, an approach validated by their legacy product, Signaling’s 800,000 users across Asia, as the company prepares for US launch.
The summit also featured Rachel Bartholomew, the Canadian founder of Hyivy Health and Femtech Across Borders, who built her pelvic-health company, and Megumi Kimura of the Japan Women’s Health Innovation Association, who outlined the investment and business models driving Japan’s fast-growing femtech market.
At the summit, Vespexx also announced the launch of Femtech Korea, an industry network intended to connect Korean femtech companies with global markets and partners, and to serve as a bridge for cross-border collaboration.
“Korea has world-class healthcare technology, but femtech has been one of its best-kept secrets,” said Scarlett Joowon Jung, Co-CEO of Vespexx. “The companies on this stage are proof that’s changing. We’re not just building for Korea anymore, we’re building for the world, and we want US partners and investors to be part of that.”
Korea Femtech Summit 2026 was hosted by Vespexx and co-hosted by FemTech Association Asia. The summit was sponsored by Sugentech, with additional support from Innerness and Octolabs.
About Vespexx
Vespexx is a Korean femtech startup and subsidiary of KOSDAQ-listed biotech Sugentech. The company operates Soonr Health, a couples-focused preconception health platform, and its earlier product Signaling has accumulated over 800,000 users. Vespexx is currently expanding into the North American market.
About Femtech Association Asia
FemTech Association Asia is the region’s first and largest specialist advisory and industry network for founders, investors, corporate partners, and ecosystem contributors, with a core focus on improving women’s health through technology solutions.
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 has released its full programme ahead of the October event at The Emirates Stadium in London on 7–8 October, with 700+ senior decision-makers and 80+ speakers confirmed across what will be the organisation’s most ambitious edition to date.
For the first time, the event will run across two dedicated stages, each built around a distinct set of questions facing the women’s health industry.
The Global Stage takes on the macro forces shaping the sector: where capital is flowing, how AI is transforming diagnosis and treatment, the gender data gap, wearable technology, stigmatised markets, and the policy landscape across Europe.
Confirmed speakers include Merete Clausen (EIF), Frida Polli (MIT), Nichole Young-Lin (Google), Alison Cave (MHRA), Emily Darlington MP, Kerry Buckley (Boots), Tim Davis (LSEG), Henriette Hessen (Verdane), Hillary Ball (Atomico), and Christine Hockley (British Business Bank).
The Scale Stage runs in parallel, focused on execution: how to navigate regulatory approval pathways, survive the valley of death, build the evidence stack that wins payers and partners, implement AI into a women’s health business, and position for acquisition. Sessions include a reverse pitch format, in which corporates and investors pitch to founders, and a founder’s guide to getting acquired.
The programme also includes two Pitch competitions, one per day, across the Consumer & Tech and Medical Devices & Therapeutics categories, with 16 finalists competing on the mainstage in front of the full delegate audience.
Every session is case study-driven, with speakers selected on the basis of having lived the problem they are on stage to solve.
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 takes place 7–8 October at The Emirates Stadium, London. The full programme is available now.
View the 2026 programme here
Pre-agenda pricing ends 26 June
Tickets are currently available at pre-agenda pricing, with savings of up to £600 off standard pricing. The deadline is midnight on Friday 26 June. After that, prices go up.
Secure your place: https://wplatform.co/summits/womens-health-week-europe-2026?utm_source=advocacy&utm_medium=ext_email&utm_campaign=whw-europe-26-femtech-world#tickets
Also at The Emirates: Women’s Sport Summit 2026
The day before WHW Europe, on 6 October, The Emirates Stadium will also host the inaugural Women’s Sport Summit, a dedicated one-day event bringing together 400+ attendees from across sport, business, and investment. Focused on the commercial side of women’s sport, the Summit covers the full sports cycle: money, product, and market. Where women’s sport means business.
A sold-out summit at the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering will bring together clinicians, researchers, regulators, investors and founders to discuss how artificial intelligence is being applied to women’s health, and what responsible development of these tools should look like.
AI × Women’s Health: Innovation, Challenges and Opportunities takes place on 25 June.
It’s organised by MEGI Health, a femtech company building a digital cardiovascular platform aimed at supporting women’s heart health through pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.
All 140 places have gone, and there’s now a waiting list.
Nina Sesto, CEO of MEGI Health, said: “We are seeing a wave of innovation in women’s health, and AI has the potential to accelerate it.
“The opportunity is enormous, but it only pays off if these tools are built on representative data and designed around the realities of women’s health.
“That is exactly the conversation we wanted to convene, across clinicians, researchers, industry and regulators.”
AI is increasingly being applied across women’s healthcare, with proponents pointing to earlier diagnosis, better risk prediction and more personalised care.
The summit will look at tools in development across fetal and gynaecological ultrasound, maternal cardiovascular monitoring and clinical decision support, alongside the question of whether women risk being left behind as the technology develops.
The timing reflects wider momentum in the sector: women’s health has been drawing more investment and policy attention, and the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute have estimated that closing the women’s health gap could add at least $1 trillion a year to the global economy by 2040.
A recurring theme for the day is data.
Women have historically been under-represented in medical research, and organisers argue that AI tools trained on incomplete or unrepresentative datasets risk repeating those gaps rather than closing them.
Sessions on data, ethics, privacy and equity will run alongside the more technical and commercial discussions.
Dr Fran Conti-Ramsden is a clinician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, academic at King’s College London and Chief Medical Officer of MEGI Health.
Conti-Ramsden said: “Working at the intersection of clinical practice, academia and industry, I see both the tremendous challenges we face in delivering clinical care for women and the need for innovation, alongside the rapid development of AI and digital health technologies.
“But bringing innovation into clinical practice is fraught with challenges.
“I hope this day brings together people from across the landscape to discuss and define those challenges as well as celebrate progress in the field, sparking dialogue on how we should innovate responsibly, and to make sure women’s health is not left behind.”
The half-day programme is split into four sessions, chaired respectively by Professor Eugene Oteng-Ntim, Professor Richard Dobson, an interactive breakout segment, and Professor Asma Khalil. Other speakers include MiRa Jacobs (MHRA), Professor Jane Hirst (The George Institute), Tulsi Patel (Hertility) and Dr Kimberley Peven (Scarlet), among others.
Organisers say they hope the event will help build a longer-term UK community around clinical AI in women’s health.
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