The female body: from blind spot to business case

This was recently big news: for the first time, the entire nerve network of the clitoris has been mapped. This was done for the penis more than thirty years ago. It is just one example, but a striking one of just how far behind medical research on the female body still is. FemTech offers significant societal opportunities. But that requires investment, as was emphasized yesterday on stage during the Fe+male Tech Heroes Conference 2026 at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.

It’s not a new story, but it is an urgent one. Less than 2% of medical research funding goes toward women-specific conditions, excluding cancer. During the event, solution developers, funders, and stakeholders were brought together to collectively raise awareness of this issue.

Sophie van Dijk, co-founder of FemTech NL and WHIC: “Women spend about 25% more of their lives in poor health than men. What’s particularly important here is that a large portion of this disease burden occurs during women’s reproductive and working years—precisely the period when they are building their careers, raising children, and juggling multiple responsibilities.”

Furthermore, women are diagnosed later than men for many conditions—on average four years later, Van Dijk continues. “Imagine the impact of those lost years: uncertainty, untreated symptoms, reduced quality of life, and economic consequences.”

Economic Impact

Arianne van Koppen, Scientist Health & Work at TNO, also spoke about the importance of funding and research in FemTech. “Together with Statistics Netherlands, we conducted a study among thousands of working women. The results were striking. Approximately 1.8 million women in the Netherlands experience hormone-related symptoms that affect their daily lives and work. Many of them report reduced productivity, fatigue, stress, concentration problems, or absenteeism.” And yet these topics are still rarely discussed openly in the workplace. It also appears that menopausal symptoms contribute significantly to absenteeism and reduced well-being, “far more than many organizations realize.”

The estimated societal costs of untreated or inadequately supported hormone-related health issues, she explains, amount to billions of euros per year.

© fe+male tech heroes

FemTech talent within the country’s borders

There is certainly no shortage of FemTech talent. There are plenty of women-focused medtech startups in the Netherlands. On stage, various companies spoke about their work and impact. Leonie van de Kamer is the co-founder and CEO of Certain. “Urinary incontinence affects millions of women worldwide. Current treatment options are often temporary, invasive, or burdensome. That’s why we’re developing a new, minimally invasive solution: a smart valve system that gives women more control and freedom.” The device, she explains, is inserted via a simple outpatient procedure and can then be controlled externally by the user herself.

Next up was Salvia Bioelectronics. Migraines affect far more women than men. The company’s therapy consists of a wafer-thin implant designed to treat specific nerves involved in migraines. The user can easily activate the therapy themselves.

Sirius Medical explained how wireless and non-radioactive technology helps surgeons locate breast cancer tumors in a patient-friendly and more precise manner.

© fe+male tech heroes

Funding and awareness: the next steps

So there are already many medtech solutions aimed at women. What’s next? In schools and medical training programs, much more attention must be paid to the gender gap in the medical world—this sentiment was repeatedly voiced by the audience during the event. It was also mentioned in various keynotes and during the panel discussion. Greater attention to this topic should, in the long run, lead to increased awareness and ultimately result in more scientific research on the female body.

And above all: funding. This needs to be scaled up significantly, emphasizes medtech entrepreneur and angel investor Carmen van Vilsteren during the panel discussion. “Ninety percent of investors are men. And people are simply more likely to invest in what they recognize,” she says. She explains that femtech startups are often told during pitches that femtech is a niche market. “That’s just not true,” she says sharply.

That message aligns with what other speakers at the event explicitly or implicitly emphasized: women make up half of the world’s population. Investing in FemTech should therefore be a large-scale market development.