Menopause Tech is Breaking Taboos
Menopause and perimenopause are getting more attention, from Superbowl ads for menopause treatments to celebrity-backed beauty and wellness start-ups, Stripes, or Wile.
In the US, about 1.3 million women become menopausal each year, Between productivity losses and healthcare costs, the annual global economic impact of menopause is estimated at $150 billion. The global menopause market is projected to reach $24.4 billion by 2030.
Yet the British Menopause Society found in a 2021 survey that 50% of women aged 45-65 had not consulted a healthcare professional about their menopause symptoms.
Gen X is a generation that has become used to tracking health metrics through smartphones and wearable devices: from periods and pregnancy to fitness and nutrition. And now menopause is emerging as a stage in their personal health that these women are approaching with the same tracking focus.
The term “femtech” was first coined in 2016 by entrepreneur Ida Tin. The femtech market is predicted to be worth $60 billion by 2027, with menopause care standing out as one of the fastest-growing segments.
Photo by Somnox Sleep on Unsplash
There is a HUGE Knowledge Gap
A 2023 study by Essity surveyed 16,000 women across Europe and the Americas, including women who had not yet started the menopause, as well as those who were in/ post menopause.
The survey highlights the lack of knowledge and education around menopause, as many don’t educate themselves until they start to experience perimenopausal symptoms.
Only 27% of pre-menopausal women know what perimenopause is, while 45% have heard of it but don't understand what it involves. Most women expect hot flushes (63%) and night sweats (54%) but there are also a lot of myths and old wives tales of how to treat symptoms.
Source: Essity Menopause Study
Half of post-menopausal women consider menopause a taboo topic, with 13% feeling it is very taboo, citing embarrassment and fear of being perceived as "old". So support is limited to close friends and family.
Source: Essity Menopause Study
Menopause Tech Suffers from Funding Challenges
According to data from McKinsey, more than 70% of femtech companies had at least one female founder, compared with a 20% norm for new companies. While this is a high percentage, female founders still face significant challenges in securing funding, with female-founded femtech start-ups raising $4.6 million on average, while male-owned companies in the same sector have raised $9.2 million.
With menopause tech, the majority of funding seems to have gone to solutions that treat hot flushes as the main symptom:
The Thermaband wristband uses AI to provide cooling or heating sensations while tracking vital signs.
The Zera Cooling Crescent is a discreet, portable neck-worn device that provides instant relief from hot flushes using thermoelectric technology.
Femography are pioneering menopause apparel featuring patented Anti-Flush™ Technology and their product line includes sleepwear and loungewear.
LG is beta testing a new AI technology called "Menopause Mode," that connects a smartwatch app with an LG air conditioning unit. It monitors vital signs to detect hot flushes during the night, promptly activating the air conditioner to cool the room within 10 minutes before returning to the original temperature.
However, not everyone experiences menopause in the same way. Menopause affects more than just physical health. It also affects the sense of self, as 31% of post-menopausal women report feeling less attractive, while 35% of pre-menopausal women believe menopause means you are "officially old."
Once you go beyond hot flushes, the options for digital trackers, education platforms and AI-driven coaching apps become more generic femtech rather than menopause tech-specific.
A few exceptions are:
Peri's CES 2025 award-winning device has a 10-day wear time that enables continuous monitoring,
MIMOSA™, a B2B HealthTech SaaS tool, is designed to support menopause health literacy in workplaces, helping employers move from being merely "Menopause Friendly" to "Menopause Intelligent™.
Currently, menopause tech platforms are primarily developed in English. A notable exception is . Barcelona-based Kala, which is the first menopause app specifically for Spanish-speaking women.
Mapping Menopause Tech Conversations
Further analysis using YouScan Social Listening breaks down the current menopause tech discussions. This Conversation Cluster map shows how different topics intersect and which areas are receiving the most attention.
The central themes of menopause technology currently focus on symptom tracking technologies, wearable devices, and digital health management tools. These core areas represent the most developed segment of the current market approach.
Several important areas are gaining traction, including workplace support strategies, economic considerations of menopause, and efforts to address gaps in health education.
The current conversation highlights several opportunities for development. There's potential for more comprehensive symptom management solutions, technologies supporting emotional well-being, and approaches that recognize the diverse experiences of individuals going through menopause.
While some topics like hot flushes and basic symptom tracking are well-covered, there are notable gaps in long-term health strategies, diverse experience representations, and holistic health approaches.
While recognition of menopause is growing, it's still often framed as a "problem to be fixed". In the constant pressure to optimise ourselves, many emerging technologies focus solely on symptom tracking or relief. The current landscape of menopause tech has both opportunities and limitations. The existing and emerging solutions primarily focus on cisgender women, there are unexplored areas: resources for transgender and non-binary individuals experiencing menopause, or technologies that educate male partners.
Addressing the diverse and complex lived experiences of this life transition would be more than just unexplored whitespace. It is an opportunity to reimagine healthcare technology through a user-centric lens of empathy.
Explore the full dashboard via https://app.youscan.io/dashboard/WfOUAypSscP9J5KO
