Periods to perimenopause: Femtech start-ups double in Singapore
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MenSC Labs (left) and Bosom are among recent homegrown femtech startups in Singapore.
PHOTOS: NG SOR LUAN AND BOSOM
- Singapore's femtech start-ups have doubled from 24 to 50 since 2021, making it the regional leader in South-east Asia.
- Femtech in Singapore now covers 14 categories, expanding beyond menstrual and sexual health to include diagnostics and hormonal care.
- AI-driven femtech platforms like Ovum are emerging, with plans to launch officially in Singapore by 2027, reflecting growing innovation and market potential.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – From fertility services to sexual wellness products to menopause care, Singapore has quietly been growing into a regional femtech hot spot.
In 2021, there were 24 such start-ups here. That figure has now more than doubled to 50 according to a report launched on Sept 7 by the FemTech Association Asia, a regional advisory and industry network for founders, companies and investors.
Femtech, short for female technology, describes tech-driven innovations aimed at improving women’s health.
Singapore leads the pack in South-east Asia, ahead of Indonesia with 21 femtech start-ups and Malaysia with 20, says the report on the Overview of the Femtech Industry in Southeast Asia.
In Asia, the Republic is ranked third after China, which has 62 such start-ups, and Japan with 61.
“Singapore has the most femtech start-ups in the region because it combines strong healthcare and technology infrastructure, access to funding and talent, and connectivity to the wider South-east Asian market,” says FemTech Association Asia founder Lindsay Davis.
The country’s femtech map has also evolved from mainly menstrual health and sexual health start-ups to encompass 14 categories including women-focus diagnostics, health clinics for women and hormonal health.
Davis adds: “The diversity of start-ups in Singapore reflects both the breadth of unmet needs in women’s health and a growing recognition that femtech is not one category, but a much broader healthcare opportunity across a woman’s life course.”
AI-driven technologies are also adding a new dimension to the scene.
Ovum, an AI health partner spanning periods to menopause and beyond, plans to launch officially in Singapore around mid-2027. Its app is already available for download in local app stores and users pay $84.98 a year based on a monthly subscription model.
Founded in August 2025 by Australian medical doctor Ariella Heffernan-Marks, it has over 26,000 downloads. The platform holds more than 110,000 health data points from women aged 15 to 84.
“Singapore may be small, but it has a sophisticated healthcare system, high digital adoption and a diverse population, making it an important first market for us in Asia,” says Heffernan-Marks, who is also expanding to Hong Kong and New Zealand.
The global femtech market is projected to reach US$130 billion (S$164 billion) by 2034, according to a 2025 report titled Femtech In South-East Asia: Unlocking Innovation For Women’s Health by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the United Nation’s regional hub.
Even so, women’s health remains under-researched, under-diagnosed and under-funded. Closing this health gap could add over US$1 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040, posits a 2024 joint report by the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute.
The Straits Times looks at two home-grown femtech start-ups driven by passionate entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in women’s healthcare.
