Africa's Femtech Startups Tackle Women's Health Gaps

Finding a fertility clinic in most African cities is easy. Finding treatment for chronic pelvic pain or menopause symptoms is nearly impossible.

That infrastructure gap is starting to close thanks to Africa's growing femtech sector. Over 100 startups now operate across the continent, bringing women's health solutions to populations that have historically lacked access to specialized care.

Global femtech funding has exploded from $107 million in 2012 to $2.6 billion in 2024. Early estimates suggest 2025 could reach $8.5 billion, signaling serious investor confidence in women's health innovation.

African startups like Grace Health and Susu Health have raised millions to support maternal health and fertility services. BabyMigo has attracted grants for pregnancy care platforms that reach women in remote areas.

The momentum is real. Founders and investors are recognizing that women's health represents both a massive market opportunity and a critical social need.

But the sector faces an important challenge. Currently, 81% of funded African femtech startups focus exclusively on pregnancy and fertility, while conditions like endometriosis (affecting 190 million women globally), chronic pelvic pain, and menopause remain largely unfunded.

The Ripple Effect

The gap isn't just about money. It reflects which aspects of women's health society has prioritized historically. Fertility clinics occupy premium real estate and advertise on billboards, while specialists in pelvic pain or menopause remain scarce.

What venture capitalists call "ghost markets" are actually vast pools of unmet need. Women spend years cycling through doctors for chronic pain conditions, often misdiagnosed or dismissed. Support exists in small pockets: a few progressive gynecologists, limited pelvic physiotherapists mostly in major cities, and some therapists working on sexual wellness.

Halima Mason, founder of sexual wellness practice Holistically, notes that women typically engage the medical system only around reproduction. Concerns about pain, pleasure, or wellness get managed privately if at all.

The next wave of African femtech founders will likely target these overlooked areas. As the sector matures and investors gain confidence, funding will flow toward conditions that affect hundreds of millions of women but have never been treated as investment opportunities.

For now, the infrastructure is building. Each new clinic, each trained specialist, and each funded startup creates pathways that didn't exist before. Women who once had nowhere to turn are finding practitioners who take their concerns seriously.

Africa's femtech boom proves that when innovators focus on women's health, solutions emerge and capital follows.