By Kate Batz, Director of FemTech Analytics
By the end of 2021, Middle East and North Africa’s (“MENA”) share of the global number of FemTech companies reached 7%, per FemTech Analytics, a subsidiary of UK-based consortium, Deep Knowledge Group. According to the latest 2021 Global FemTech Industry report by FemTech Analytics, North America continues to dominate the FemTech market housing approximately 55% of FemTech companies globally, followed by Europe (25%) and Asia (8%).
As of December 2021, 86 FemTech companies are domiciled in the MENA region, with approximately 87% of these companies being based in Israel, and 7% – in the UAE.
Breakdown of MENA’s FemTech companies by country, 2021
What is FemTech?
FemTech (Female Technology) is a term applied to a category of software, diagnostics, products, and services that use technology to focus on women’s health and wellness. Key FemTech subsectors include Reproductive Health & Contraception, General Healthcare, Longevity, Mental Health, Menstrual Health, Pregnancy & Nursing, Sexual Health, Pelvic & Uterine Healthcare, Menopause Care, and Women’s Wellness.
The FemTech industry emerged nearly 10 years ago. However, a wide range of aspects of female health remain underserved. While Reproductive Health and Pregnancy has traditionally been the focus of FemTech businesses and investments, several other sub sectors are gradually coming to the fore. The largest FemTech subsector in the MENA region is Pelvic & Uterine Health Care (25%), followed by General Health Care (24%), and Pregnancy & Nursing (20%).
Number of MENA Femtech companies by subsector, 2021
Devices (wearables, hardware, medical tools) and Diagnostics for women’s health are the most common product types in the MENA FemTech market, comprising 40% and 23% of the market size, respectively. Apps/Software addressing Reproductive Health & Contraception and Pregnancy & Nursing make up 9% of the market.
In the MENA region, the FemTech consumer products category is considered very small compared to the global market, mainly offering a limited number of innovative Femcare products for menstruation such as sustainable and natural tampons, hygienic pads, and other essentials.
E-commerce platforms focused on women’s healthcare represent a key driver of the UAE’s FemTech sector. Digital platforms in the Pregnancy & Nursing subsector offering consumer products for moms-to-be, new moms and kids to enjoy the motherhood journey.
Despite the small size of the overall FemTech market in the region, the UAE appears to be entering a significant new wave of healthcare for women, driven by greater awareness and openness about female health topics, changing perceptions about women’s health issues, market accessibility for female founders, increasing demand for reproductive health products and services, growing interest from VCs and angel investors in FemTech, facilitative government efforts and a number of FemTech projects set to launch in 2022 and beyond. The UAE is well-positioned to achieve exponential growth within the FemTech industry, considering the array of existing startups providing feminine hygiene products and educational tools, and the several more expected to arise over the coming few years.
Number of MENA FemTech companies by product type, 2021
UAE, WHO partnership
In December 2021, the UAE Government and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new partnership to support the health sector, whereby WHO adopts the UAE Government accelerators model to speed up the achievement of its strategic goals and initiatives, and to ensure the provision of healthy lifestyles and prosperity at all ages. The partnership aims to form an integrated global chart that celebrates innovation for health, and strengthen cooperation between countries, governments, and organizations to build sustainable societies.
