Women's health innovators face arduous path to success

Australia possesses the potential to become a global leader in women's health innovation, yet investors are not focusing their attention on health technology, resulting in overseas expansion of female innovators. Only two percent of all tech startup capital in Australia in 2025 was directed towards all-female founded teams, according to the State of Australian Startup Funding report.

Female health technology innovators gathered in Sydney for a summit to discuss the challenges they face. Tara Croft, CEO of Baymatob, which developed a $25 million AI-powered sensor called Oli for pregnancy and childbirth, shared her struggles as an Australian company, stating that she had secured funding from government grants and 30 percent offshore investors.

Had there been stronger investor support, her company would have entered the market two or three years earlier. Croft emphasized that Australia could demonstrate what good women's health innovation looks like globally if it built a comprehensive ecosystem supporting women's health. Associate Professor Helen Frazer, a clinical director at St Vincent's BreastScreen, highlighted the difficulties in the research funding system, which often involves short intervals of two to three years, making it challenging to establish multidisciplinary teams necessary for groundbreaking innovation.

Ovum's Ariella Heffernan-Marks, founder of an AI health app designed to help women track symptoms, manage medical records, and advocate for their healthcare, admitted that her journey to market was arduous. She underscored the need for investors who are impact-focused and aware of the women's health gap, noting that Australia served as a valuable testing ground for her venture before expanding to international markets.