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Femtech is booming but brand maturity lags. Carolyn Rush on why positioning, trust, and strategy are now make-or-break for women’s health startups in this guest piece for Femtech Insider.
In 2016, “femtech” mostly meant period tracking apps. Today, it is a $100B market-in-waiting, spanning fertility, menopause, mental health, diagnostics, and longevity. Yet despite the momentum, femtech still struggles with underfunding, limited clinical research, and brand positioning that often lags behind consumer expectations. Carolyn Rush, Strategy Director at Koto and practising postpartum doula, argues that this gap makes brand strategy more than a communications exercise. It is a strategic imperative.
She shows how femtech’s historic framing as “wellness” has opened doors but also bred confusion and mistrust, from privacy scandals to regulatory setbacks. At the same time, consumers now demand clinical credibility without losing emotional resonance. Brands like Midi Health and Juno Bio are leading the way, blending diagnostics, digital platforms, and tone shifts that move femtech closer to biotech while keeping user needs central.
The lesson is clear: science alone will not drive adoption. Successful femtech brands must feel safe, inclusive, and user-first, with strategy shaping not only marketing but product, partnerships, and culture. Positioning defines who you are, what you do, and why you matter, which is crucial in a sector fighting both stigma and commodification. The real opportunity is to move beyond pinkwashing toward ambitious, rigorous, and radically user-centred healthcare. Read the full piece to see how.
