Women-identifying entrepreneurs face unique challenges when starting a business. While most rely on their own savings or income to fund their startups, there comes a time when outside financing is required.
That’s where a mentor can come in handy, especially if the startup is looking to expand internationally. This is why Startup Women has launched a free program to support women-identifying entrepreneurs in their early stages.
Verge Genomics
Verge Genomics uses artificial intelligence to develop drugs for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. They analyze patient tissue to find genes that indicate the best drug targets and then test compounds against them. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in San Francisco.
It can take 12 years and cost more than $2 billion to bring a new drug to market. And 90% of medicines in human trials fail. Alice Zhang, the 29-year-old CEO of Verge Genomics, wants to change that.
The company recently announced a multi-target collaboration with Alexion, which could yield up to $840 million in potential downstream royalties. The company has also raised $98 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing led by BlackRock, along with existing investors, including Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Threshold Ventures, and ALS Investment Fund. They’re working to optimize the process of drug discovery and transform it into a more calculated, less serendipitous process. This will help to reduce the number of unsuccessful drugs and speed up the time it takes to get them on the market.
Maven
Maven helps women manage their fertility through high-quality care and transparent coverage. Its members have 24/7 access to OB-GYNs, doulas, lactation consultants, career coaches, and more. The platform also includes affordable hormone tests. Its goal is to change the paradigm of fertility care by turning it into a proactive process.
Women entrepreneurs often face unique challenges. For one, they struggle to get funding because investors are more familiar with male-founded businesses. In addition, they are often perceived as risky investments. As a result, they must work harder to demonstrate their value.
Startup Women provides mentorship and events that empower women entrepreneurs. They connect them with peer-to-peer advisers and subject matter experts to help them build their companies. They also provide access to funding sources that support women-identified businesses. This allows them to launch their ideas sooner and gain the confidence to succeed. This way, they can build their business faster and improve the quality of their services.창업아이템
Clue
Having grown from a niche period-tracking app into a multimillion-user phenomenon in 190 countries, Berlin-based Clue has now received backing from investors on crowdfunding site Crowdcube to scale its digital family planning offering and continue research into women’s health. The community of investors is largely female, reflecting the popularity of the company’s self-knowledge ethos.여자창업
Clue’s ovulation-predicting algorithm has already been validated in a full-scale, representative, independent clinical trial. The company also plans to leverage its user data through the app’s new My Health Record feature, allowing users to input confirmed diagnoses for 21 conditions including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, PMDD, uterine fibroids, and bleeding disorders.

The company hasn’t released pricing details yet, but a US launch is in the works and Clue says its product will compete with first-mover Natural Cycles. The team also plans to expand its product portfolio to other reproductive and general health-related symptoms. Despite the recent funding, the company is still struggling financially and has had to lay off a number of staff members. In a blog post, founder Ida Tin cites the difficult market environment as the reason behind the downsizing.
iVitals
With a mission to improve women’s health, iVitals is a company that offers a number of female-focused products. Its flagship product is the Elvie breast pump, which was ranked on TIME’s “Best Inventions” list in 2019. The startup also offers kegel training and feminine hygiene products.
Other FemTech startups include Allara Health, which provides telehealth services for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Its treatment plan includes consultations with physicians and dietitians and an online medication subscription. Its service is currently covered by many major insurers.
Another company, Elektra Health, focuses on addressing the healthcare needs of women going through perimenopause and menopause. Its Menopause Care Program includes symptom-based programs, virtual care visits with a menopause specialist and asynchronous messaging support. Its vSculpt and vFit Gold wellness devices use red light to help reduce vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence and menopausal symptoms. The company has raised $3 million in seed funding to date.