While there is a long history of advocacy for comprehensive and accessible women’s healthcare, the adoption and recognition of FemTech as an umbrella connecting many sectors of women’s wellness is relatively new. In this article, we’ll explore the trajectory of the FemTech industry and the role of infrared in the evolution of wearable wellness.
FemTech refers to all types of technology and innovation designed to address health issues that solely or disproportionately affect women’s health. Some examples of FemTech products and services include:
The name also added a new sense of legitimacy to FemTech companies and products, bolstering confidence in current and future investors while also resonating with a broader sector of the public.
Since 2016, FemTech has continued to gain traction, evidenced by a steady increase in new FemTech start-ups and funding. During the summer of 2022, FemTech hit $16 billion in total industry funding, a 15% increase since December of 2021. As a whole, the FemTech industry is projected to be worth an estimated $1.186 trillion by 2027. This market includes a range of subsectors relating to women’s health, including menopause care, menstrual health, pregnancy and nursing, longevity and more. Among these subsectors, consumer femcare products are the top product type for FemTech companies, followed closely by wearable devices and apps and softwares. With research indicating that women drive 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions, it’s imperative for brands to pay attention to FemTech trends to ensure that these primary decision makers’ health and well-being are represented.
As a result of this rapid growth, we are seeing women’s-specific wellness innovations emerge from existing industry leaders as well as start-ups. Athletic apparel powerhouses are introducing solutions such as Nike’s Leak Protection: Period. The ultrathin absorbent liner helps protect against period leaks, with the aim of boosting confidence for teens and adults so they can continue to do what they enjoy with peace of mind. Sleepwear and intimates companies have expanded their product lines to include solutions for maternity, menstruation and more. For example, SKIMS launched a new maternity collection in 2022, and Soma offers customers post-surgical and nursing bra options alongside their traditional product offerings. Female-focused brands are harnessing innovation to create female-specific solutions, such as Fifty One Apparel’s apparel collections featuring NASA-inspired technology that offer relief from menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
Let’s take a closer look at the wearable technology subsector of FemTech.
Wearable technology holds a significant share of the FemTech market, which continues to rise as consumers integrate smart devices into many aspects of their lives. We define wearable technology as any form of technology that is worn as an accessory, is context-aware and connective. In the FemTech space, wearables are currently most useful in tracking menstruation, measuring sleep metrics and providing important health insights. As wearable devices continue to evolve, it is safe to say they will be an essential tool for women to focus more and more on self-health care, wellness and digitalization.
Wearable tech innovations range from well-known health trackers like Oura Ring, WHOOP and Apple Watch, to thermoregulating wristbands for menopause, to smart textiles and beyond. While still relatively new, smart textiles can also be considered a subsector of wearable technology. We define smart textiles as any textile product that has the ability to be context-aware (either aware of specifics of the external environment, or the body, or both) and connect with other devices.
While the majority of wearable devices primarily function to monitor an individual’s physiological state, the future of wearable tech for FemTech is rooted in how we use these insights. To maximize the value of wearables and stay ahead of the curve, FemTech brands can focus on creating products that benefit a female’s health and wellbeing that can work in tandem with the devices. One solution to bridge this gap is bio-responsive textiles, an innovation adjacent to smart textiles.
If the primary function of smart textiles is to monitor the body’s health and wellness metrics, then the primary function of bio-responsive textiles is to interact with the body to provide a tangible, physiological response. One example of this is CELLIANT® infrared technology, a blend of natural, IR-emitting bioceramic minerals that can be embedded into fibers, yarns and fabrics or printed directly on fabrics themselves. CELLIANT-infused fabrics are bio-responsive because they take heat from the environment near the fabric, such as body heat, and convert that heat into infrared energy. This energy is reflected back into the body which has a physiological impact on the body. CELLIANT has been clinically demonstrated to increase local circulation and improve cellular oxygenation, resulting in wellness benefits including:
FemTech applications are an emerging focus for CELLIANT, driven by our confidence that the benefits of infrared technology can boost women’s wellness at every stage of life. CELLIANT can help brands expand and re-invent their product lines to fill gaps in the FemTech industry without embarking on lengthy and costly research and development. Our 10 peer-reviewed published studies collectively demonstrate the benefits of CELLIANT and the efficacy of infrared. When integrated into FemTech products, CELLIANT infrared technology supports women through each chapter of their feminine journey, infusing unique health and wellness benefits into the fabric of her life cycle.
Today’s modern woman can benefit from passive wellness benefits woven into all aspects of her wardrobe, from work to work-out to play and rest. CELLIANT infrared technology is perfect for activewear, luxury loungewear, sleepwear and fashion apparel.
Both mother and baby can benefit from CELLIANT infrared technology, which is safe and effective for applications such as nursing bras, maternity apparel and supportwear, undergarments, crib mattresses, swaddle blankets and more. CELLIANT is compatible with multiple carrier fabric types to suit any application.
CELLIANT improves cellular oxygenation, increases energy and speeds recovery, and can be infused into heating pads, recovery loungewear and menstruation underwear.
CELLIANT’s ability to support thermoregulation make it ideal for use in the context of menopause, particularly in bedding, cooling loungewear, specialty activewear, shapewear and yoga accessories.
We are committed to expanding on CELLIANT’s research to explore the potential impacts of increased local circulation and improved cellular oxygenation as they relate to beauty products like face masks, sauna and spa accessories, and skincare products.
CELLIANT is an ingredient brand that works with FemTech companies and women’s wellness brands of all sizes to integrate our proprietary formula into their product lines. If you are interested in connecting with our team to discuss how CELLIANT fits into your FemTech products, please fill out the form below.
1Ward-Glenton, H. (2023, March 6). Meet the woman who invented a whole new subsection of tech set to be worth $1 trillion. CNBC.
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