Historically, tech that caters to women’s health issues hasn’t received much, if any, funding—but the tide is turning. According to a study from Frost & Sullivan, it’s estimated that by 2025, Femtech will be a $50 billion industry.

The term ‘Femtech’ was first coined in 2016 by Ida Tin, the founder of menstrual tracking app, Clue, and refers to gadgets, products and advancements in women’s health, including menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and fertility.

According to Pitchbook data, five years ago funding in the global FemTech sector barely hit $100 million, so it’s no surprise that— since women make up half of the world’s population and 80% of household healthcare spending is done by women— this year is set to see more than $400 million in funding given to the success of FemTech businesses.

Today I sat down with Ridhi Tariyal, the CEO and co-founder of NextGen Jane, a tampon that tracks fertility and can test for STIs.

GLOBAL MOBILITY

According to data from the 2017 World Economic Forum, China produces nearly 5 million STEM graduates, India churns out 2.6 million while the U.S. produces around 568,000, of which well over half are foreign nationals from China and India.

To counter these numbers, in 2018 the H-1B visa brought in around 200,000 applications filed by companies trying to woo foreign workers.  But the U.S. is cracking down on employment-based immigration programs so U.S. companies are increasingly moving jobs to Canada to avoid the huge demand of H-1B and other work visa programs.

Canada has been aggressively marketing itself as a friendly alternative for tech companies seeking international talent in the nation’s quest to become a more influential tech hub. This year alone, Canada aims to add 330,800 permanent residents under new immigration rules.

Here with me to discuss the future of global mobility is Stephanie Lewin, Head of Global Immigration for Envoy Global.

Stephanie Lewin

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